Which semi-portable game console’s game library appeals to you depends entirely on your personal preferences. If you’re a huge fan of Nintendo’s first-party games from the Mario, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Pokémon, “Legend of Zelda,” or Metroid franchises, then the Switch is for you. If you want AAA titles that appear on other consoles, the Switch isn’t quite as compelling, but it still has some solid options. The Switch has also gotten first dibs on titles like the last two games in the “No More Heroes” series, which began on the Nintendo Wii.
The Steam Deck, meanwhile, gives you access to the premier PC gaming store of the last two decades. This includes not just the best in PC exclusives and AAA cross-platform games that have PC ports but also some things that may surprise you if you haven’t been paying attention to PC gaming.
Specifically, Sony now publishes what were previously PlayStation exclusives on PCs, including on Steam. It doesn’t include the absolute latest and greatest PlayStation exclusives, as those have windowed exclusivity on Sony’s consoles. But as of this writing, that library includes “Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection,” 2022’s “God of War,” “Ratchet & Clark: Rift Apart,” “The Last of Us: Part I,” and more.
Not only that, but you have access to older games not available on any actively supported console. Case in point: Steam has Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell series, which hasn’t seen a new title or even a port since 2013’s “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist” on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC. For overall depth and variety, the Steam Deck wins out here.