Nintendo’s next handheld will be here soon, but playing other handhelds is helping me rethink what Nintendo’s next system should be.
It could be any day now that Nintendo announces the Switch 2, Nintendo’s next console after the almost 8-year-old Nintendo Switch. After that long of a wait, expectations are running high. Right now, early reported leaks on the system and its internals show something that looks a lot more like an updated first-gen Switch than something truly wild and new.
Disappointed? Not me, not really. In fact, lately, I’ve been playing a lot on two other handhelds: Sony’s Playstation Portal and the Valve Steam Deck OLED. Both have been around my home for well over a year, but I’ve been drawn back to them lately for different reasons. The Portal’s become a place where I can remote-play Astro Bot from the PS5, and it’s shockingly good for that. Meanwhile, the Steam Deck has turned into my UFO 50 game console, my only way to play one of my favorite indie games of all time.
I’ve also tried pushing the Portal and the Steam Deck into new zones. I’ve been streaming some cloud games on the Portal via Sony’s in-beta support for PS Plus. And I bought a dock to connect the Steam Deck to my TV, pairing controllers so I can play two-player UFO 50 games with my kid.
As these two big-sized handhelds have become my winter favorites, they’ve also filled me with thoughts on what they do better than the current Switch… and have made me appreciate things that the Switch still does better. Nintendo needs to change some stuff for the next Switch, but I’m more confident that Nintendo should stick to its formula, too.
I crave better controls
The Steam Deck and the PlayStation Portal, in their different ways, absolutely trounce the Switch in the controller department. I’ve gotten spoiled by the luxurious feel of both handhelds. The Steam Deck is studded with control options: roomy analog triggers, large extra trackpads and additional paddle buttons on the backside.
Although I don’t use most of them, they don’t get in the way and the Deck offers tons of ways to customize. They’re laid out well, too. I could use the D-pad and buttons, switch to analog sticks or use the trackpads — or mix and match. The haptics are subtle, but for the solid-state trackpads in particular they add realistic feedback and a “click” feel that impresses me.
The Portal is amazing in its own way because somehow it really replicates most of the PS5 DualSense controller’s magic. The buttons are smaller than the DualSense, and the Portal doesn’t have the clickable trackpad (instead, you have to awkwardly double-tap the touchscreen), but the vibrating haptic motors are strong and the rear triggers have the same unique force feedback that the PS5 controllers do.
Astro Bot really shows these features off as the game makes the most of the PS5 controller in endless immersive ways. I was doubtful that Astro Bot would translate well to a streaming handheld device like the Portal, but it works. Sometimes, sure, there are streaming hiccups. But when it’s fine, I forget I’m using a streaming device. Surfaces rumble beneath me, I feel weapons pulse beneath my fingers. I’m sucked in.
Nintendo was ahead of the game back when the Switch first launched: Its tiny controllers are studded with buttons, have motion controls and their haptic vibrations were a lot better than anything else in 2017. Those controllers now feel dated, they wear out and drift easily and they don’t have analog triggers. I just prefer the Steam Deck and Portal controllers a lot more now.
Bigger screens, please
I love tiny handhelds, but the Steam Deck and especially the PlayStation Portal have me realizing that big screens are very nice for playing big-size games.
The Switch optimizes most of its games to maximize its hardware, so usually, everything looks fine on the Switch’s current 6- or 7-inch, 720p-resolution screen. The Steam Deck’s bigger screen size is appreciated, though, for cross-platform games that are often designed for PC monitors or TVs. The PlayStation Portal does it best, though. The 8-inch 1080p display ends up working out perfectly for most PS5 games. Madden? No problem. Astro Bot? A joy. I can navigate the PS5 menus and not feel like I’m squinting.
The Switch 2 is expected to have an 8-inch, 1080p screen, and that sounds just perfect to me… especially if the Switch 2 is expected to play more current-gen console and PC games like Elden Ring or Baldur’s Gate 3.
But you know what? The Switch form still has unbeatable magic
There’s a final thing I’ve realized, though: Eight years later, the Switch’s magical switching powers remain unbeaten.
We take these things for granted: The Switch comes with a dock for TV gaming and it works seamlessly. The controllers slide off and become two-player capable, or single-player dual-wield, take your pick. Kids can figure it out.
Two controllers in one system was a brilliant idea, and it still makes two-player gaming with my kid easy and fun. I haven’t seen any other handheld that’s handled adding and removing controllers as easily as Nintendo does. My recent experiment docking the Steam Deck to my TV showed how wonky the process is. The dock isn’t included and it needed fiddling and firmware updates, and I had a hard time pairing controllers (the Xbox ones didn’t work, but an 8bitdo and Switch Pro controller paired seamlessly). Even then, I had to reboot the Steam Deck to get it to run. Also, you can replace the Switch controllers when they break down, which is huge for longevity. The Steam Deck and PlayStation Portal make you live with the controls that come bonded onto it.
Nintendo should absolutely update its Joy-Con controllers with better haptics and buttons and a more “pro” feel, but the way they split and pair and work is still better than anything else.
And that means, to me, that just updating the Switch’s internals and keeping the form the same is just fine. I know we all crave Nintendo surprises (I do more than anyone). I’m still pretty confident the Switch 2 will have its curve balls, such as the rumored optical sensor in one Joy-Con, and who knows what else. But Nintendo doesn’t have to dream up a new hardware form this time. There’s a reason everyone else is still trying to copy it: Nintendo knocked it out of the park with the Switch. The Switch 2 deserves to follow in its footsteps, with a bunch of overdue performance upgrades. And if that’s what’s happening, well, it sounds good to me.
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