That’s not a clickbait headline. It’s true! When you talk about the base model Steam Deck, its $50 less than the $450 Switch 2.
The Steam Deck is Great!
Now if you want a snazzier model, expect to pay a bit more. But I have the base model Steam Deck, and as budget-minded gamer, I have to say, its great. It has a gargantuan library of games, its easy to use and for those who want to, they can mod it to whatever they want. Plus, you don’t need an expensive micro-sd express card to expand it. You can by a cheaper one and it works fine. The only major accessory is a $79 dock and that’s it. You can plug in an Xbox controller to the dock and it works! Now, not every game will work on the Steam Deck, Silent Hill 2 Remake does not and that is disappointing, but I’m playing Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon on it, and its works perfectly!
The Switch 2 is Expensive as Hell
Right now, the Switch 2 is taking flack for being $450, Mario Kart 8 being $80, and the Welcome Tour being $10 and requiring $95 worth of accessories plus a 4k TV for 100%. Personally, I didn’t think it was worth it to get one. I talked a little about in the Caligo Review, in terms of the obscure games not arriving for awhile. But why pay $450 for a system at launch where the games are overpriced and almost nothing but ports at the moment? I essentially was priced out and decided to buy the Steam Deck instead. Granted, Nintendo has their exclusives, but they’re not out yet and will take awhile to come out. Regardless, Nintendo used to be the family-friendly, budget gaming company. Not anymore, they’ve gotten greedy, and this presents an opportunity!
Valve Take Note
The point of this editorial is not stealth marketing for the Steam Deck, but rather to tell Valve, its time to put the Deck in Gamestop, Walmart and Target. Market the hell out of it. As console gaming gets more expensive, with Microsoft recently jacking up prices, it’s an opportunity. Right now, the Deck is seen as a niche product. Its mainly sold off Steam itself. Plus, Nintendo probably sold more Switch 2s on release day that the Deck has sold in its entire lifespan. But it doesn’t have to be this way. It can become mainstream, but its Valve who has to win it. Time will tell if they pick up the ball, because it is quite obvious Nintendo has fumbled with the Switch 2 at launch.