No one can deny the impact of the Switch or its importance since it first launched in 2017. From basically reviving traditional portable gaming in the light of the mobile industry to proving that not all AAA games are out. In the same vein, the Switch will go down in history as one of the most vital, significant systems in history.
But “history” is exactly how the Switch is starting to feel more than five and a half years after that massive launch, especially in light of what Valve’s more modern Steam Deck can offer. Every dog has their day (including those Nintendogs), but now it’s starting to feel like the Switch is the Old Yeller to the Deck’s Lassie.
The biggest sign of age with the Switch, of course, lies on the technical side of things. The Switch has always been somewhat overpowered, its Tegra X1 processor didn’t even come close to the top of the line even all those years ago, but its lack of power is even more apparent in nearly every major new release of 2022, with it system struggles with modern game design ambitions. The Switch beeps and beeps just to get the job done. Playing something on the Steam Deck and then trying the same game on Switch feels like going back a generation. As someone who owns both systems, I really only see myself playing exclusive games on the Switch again.
Developers work (largely) within the constraints of the system thanks to scaling and smart asset optimization, but the Switch is increasingly lacking due to pure resolution and framerate performance. Though a step up from its predecessor, the recent Xenoblade Chronicles 3 dragged itself over the line at 540p with a framerate cap of 30fps with some rather flat environmental textures, jagged edges and regular framerate hiccups. Meanwhile, games like Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes include some really creepy compression to stop the Switch’s sputtering, though it still does during frenetic battles. Then there’s WRC 10, a port so compressed it’s basically fried.
You have to wonder how next year’s Tears of the Kingdom will play out, especially since it’s expected to be an evolution of Breath of the Wild, which already felt like it pushed the Switch to its limits at launch.
Compare this to the Steam Deck, which somehow lets you play games like Marvel’s Spider-Man and God of War as if someone shrunk a PS4 and handed it over. Then there are the huge customization options and the open nature that you can really tinker with. This is a system that’s only just getting started, with developers really embracing FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) capabilities, which algorithmically scales and sharpens the image to give it a higher resolution without hurting the frame rate.
As for those framerates, you can expect a solid 60 for a lot of games on Deck without too much fiddling. 60fps is the standard the Switch feels a million miles away from for many of its games, especially third-party titles. While the Switch has the best third-party support in Nintendo’s history (pretty much about 40 games released on it as I wrote this), it seems like many AAA publishers are pulling out of the system, perhaps because of the concessions needed. for their increasingly demanding games that work on the Switch are ultimately not worth it, or are simply not possible. The rise of cloud versions also seems to suggest that.
To be clear, no one is asking Nintendo to solder an RTX 4090 to an 8K display and try to deal with Valve, who sell every Deck at a loss, though the absolute kingdoms they can build with their CS: GO skin money undoubtedly helps. Nintendo just needs to close the gap before the generation gap gets even wider, whether that’s with a Switch Pro or a brand new system. If Nintendo can remake and redesign the DS about 50 times, isn’t it time for the Switch to get a little makeover too, even if it’s just a little lipstick against the prettier, younger competition?
Whatever Nintendo makes after that, hopefully it can match the speed of the new F-Zero game of our dreams.
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