Is the Steam Deck a Game Changer for Nintendos Plans to release another Console?

[Xzi]

people literally set them to 0.75x or lower in order to make the emulator not suck it does indeed lower the resolution below switch. its not mods its a downscale setting

As a Deck owner, I can tell you that there's literally only two games where the performance isn't acceptable at 100% handheld resolution. Mario Odyssey and Kirby Forgotten Land. Legends Arceus runs much better on Deck than Switch in handheld, along with a lot of other titles.

These emulators also still have a long development roadmap ahead of them. Won't surprise me if every game performs better than native in a few years.

 

[deathblade200]

As a Deck owner, I can tell you that there's literally only two games where the performance isn't acceptable at 100% handheld resolution. Mario Odyssey and Kirby Forgotten Land. Legends Arceus runs much better on Deck than Switch in handheld, along with a lot of other titles.

and I can tell you how many games you havn't played then *cough* xenoblade 2 and 3* Cough* but nope "literally" only 2 games. its kind of crazy to me that people like to hype up emulators to be something they arn't. it happens everytime

 

[Xzi]

and I can tell you how many games you havn't played then *cough* xenoblade 2 and 3* Cough* but nope "literally" only 2 games

Okay fair enough, only two games that I would actually want to play then. I enjoyed the first Xenoblade Chronicles much better than XC2, which struggles to run on Switch even in docked mode anyway. Haven't played XC3 yet.

 

[deathblade200]

Okay fair enough, only two games that I would actually want to play then. I enjoyed the first Xenoblade Chronicles much better than XC2, which struggles to run on Switch even in docked mode anyway. Haven't played XC3 yet.

point is its easy to make claims based on exceptions when the reality is much different

 

[Xzi]

point is its easy to make claims based on exceptions when the reality is much different

The reality is that a portable system shouldn't be able to emulate a "current gen" console at all, let alone to the point of so many games being fully playable. I would've already sold off my Switch if I weren't a collector of Nintendo and Sony systems, though this will probably be the last round where I keep up with the cutting edge stuff. Everything is available on PC now, and games that won't emulate well on Steam Deck I have my desktop for.

 

[deathblade200]

The reality is that a portable system shouldn't be able to emulate a "current gen" console at all, let alone to the point of so many games being fully playable. I would've already sold off my Switch if I weren't a collector of Nintendo and Sony systems, though this will probably be the last round where I keep up with the cutting edge stuff. Everything is available on PC now, and stuff that won't emulate well on Steam Deck I have my desktop for.

you can emulate anything on anything really with a few exceptions that are "playable" (people have their own idea of playable I don't find worse framedrops than the switch itself with lower resolution as playable though) on every emulator. using my steam deck for switch emulation instead of just using my switch though would just be asinine I get far better results with my switch and without having to cripple the resolution or deal with graphical issues

 

[Zaide]

The steam deck is no threat to the switch. Nintendo will lose some gamers to steam deck, but at the end of the day most players wouldn't want to deal with setting up emulators and such. The plug and play nature of the switch creates significant appeal for most people.

But for people who would want a *hacked* switch, the steam deck is the superior device.

 

[Zaide]

Edit: network glitch caused double post.

 

[Xzi]

you can emulate anything on anything really with a few exceptions that are "playable"

Lol, can you emulate Steam Deck with a Switch? No, the emulating hardware has to be several times as powerful as what it's emulating.

using my steam deck for switch emulation instead of just using my switch though would just be asinine I get far better results with my switch and without having to cripple the resolution or deal with graphical issues

You can rid yourself of almost all frame drops by downloading the shader cache beforehand. It's a moot point though, Nintendo isn't going anywhere and neither is most of its target audience. Steam Deck is targeting a more niche group who doesn't want to have to buy games twice and/or already has an existing library. You get stuff like Monster Hunter Rise at higher resolution/graphics settings and locked 60 FPS. You get Elden Ring, God of War, and FF7R on an effing portable. You get indies for hours of play. Emulating every single Nintendo console ever is just the cherry on top.

 

[deathblade200]

Lol, can you emulate Steam Deck with a Switch? No, the emulating hardware has to be several times as powerful as what it's emulating.


You can rid yourself of almost all frame drops by downloading the shader cache beforehand. It's a moot point though, Nintendo isn't going anywhere and neither is most of its target audience. Steam Deck is targeting a more niche group who doesn't want to have to buy games twice and/or already has an existing library. You get stuff like Monster Hunter Rise at higher resolution/graphics settings and locked 60 FPS. You get Elden Ring, God of War, and FF7R on an effing portable. You get indies for hours of play. Emulating every single Nintendo console ever is just the cherry on top.

you can emulate a PC on switch yes or hell even run ubuntu itself which is linux which is what the steamos is the steam deck is just a portable pc nothing special. this also isn't about everything else the steam deck has I have and love my steam deck I'm just not blind to how poor the switch emulation is on it. you're just turning it into a shit show of "no this handheld is better than this" while I'm being realistic about the emulation

 

[Xzi]

steam deck is just a portable pc

Ya don't say?

I have and love my steam deck I'm just not blind to how poor the switch emulation is on it. your just turning it into a shit show of "no this handheld is better than this" while I'm being realistic about the emulation

Like I said, Deck emulates every exclusive I want it to great, except for Odyssey and Forgotten Land. You're motivated to take a negative slant on it for whatever reason, but for people with the desire and know-how to do so, replacing a Switch with Steam Deck or buying one instead of Switch is a perfectly valid option. Emulation is just gonna get even better and even easier over time.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I'm not sure Nintendo even considers the Deck a competitor. PC and consoles have always been 2 different things, most people generally stick to one or the other.

Nintendo needs not to even bother to compete, the Deck even being as "powerful" as it is, it's just another emulation device, without original content. And considering the Deck's price in comparison with the Switch's, we all know which one will keep selling on top of any other console out there.

PC has plenty of original content, most of which the Deck has access to. What the Switch did for consoles, the Deck is doing for PC. That being said, I don't consider them direct competitors. PC and consoles have been to a large degree 2 separate target audiences, and the Deck might bring more people over to PC who otherwise would have stuck to consoles, but console is always going to have its fan base. Besides, the Deck is huge and bulky. A lot of people already think the regular Switch is too big.

 

[deathblade200]

Ya don't say?


Like I said, Deck emulates every exclusive I want it to great, except for Odyssey and Forgotten Land. You're motivated to take a negative slant on it for whatever reason, but for people with the desire and know-how to do so, replacing a Switch with Steam Deck or buying one instead of Switch is a perfectly valid option. Emulation is just gonna get even better and even easier over time.

the switch emulation is poor regardless if you want to accept that reality or just defend your purchase

 

[Xzi]

the switch emulation is poor regardless if you want to accept that reality or just defend your purchase

It sounds like it's poor for some very specific games that you want to play. That doesn't make it poor in general. It plays Link's Awakening at 60 FPS locked where Switch can't even maintain 30, FFS. Shader caches and mods are your friend.

 

[deathblade200]

It sounds like it's poor for some very specific games that you want to play. That doesn't make it poor in general. It plays Link's Awakening at 60 FPS locked where Switch can't even maintain 30, FFS. Shader caches and mods are your friend.

its odd to me how people always get some weird disconnect from reality when they like a product which doesn't allow them to accept its not as perfect as they wish to believe. this same odd bias is why console wars exist. oh and btw I play links awakening 60fps on my switch without lowering the resolution while on steam deck it again needs 0.75x. overclock is your friend

 

[JeepX87]

No, the decision made by Nintendo isn't influence from other companies and they don't see Steam Deck as Switch's competitor, even not close. Nintendo will announce the next-gen when time frame is right, so it would be years away from now, likely 2025, also Nintendo want to ensure that next-gen would replicate the Switch's success, not repeat of Wii U's failure.

There is drawback with next-gen, it is likely to be unhackable and possibly most secure console unless there is surprise mishap with unfixable security hole like happened with fusee-gelee exploit in Switch.

 

[godreborn]

imo, they're two separate markets, even if there is some overlap with games.

 

[x65943]

Personally I see zero appeal in the steam deck

Battery life blows, and blows hard - just get a PC if you are gonna be tethered to a cord

If you are the type who has to take the tram to work 1 hour each way daily maybe it makes sense (if you also can plug it in)

Otherwise use your PC

The switch will continue (and any successor) to sell because Nintendo has the strongest IP by far of any publishing company in existence

 

[tech3475]

I don't think it will make that much of a difference, for example:
1) Nintendo has it's IP/exclusives
2) The SD is not readily available e.g. high street retailers
3) The larger general public likely wont care as much, especially younger kids (Valve would have to actively market it IMO)
4) The SD costs more

Before anyone says 'you can emulate the Switch', I still consider that a relatively niche thing to do compared to the overall market.

Personally I see zero appeal in the steam deck

Battery life blows, and blows hard - just get a PC if you are gonna be tethered to a cord

If you are the type who has to take the tram to work 1 hour each way daily maybe it makes sense (if you also can plug it in)

Otherwise use your PC

I also haven't found the battery life to be too bad, at least not for the games I've been playing, certainly better than my laptop.

 

[deathblade200]

I also haven't found the battery life to be too bad, at least not for the games I've been playing, certainly better than my laptop.

really depends on what you play like God of War will drain it like nothing. battery life varies greatly though per game