Valve’s Steam Deck will provide some much needed competition for the Nintendo Switch, and it’s about time.
Sometimes we all need a little push in life. However, when it comes to the Steam Deck, Valve has given Nintendo an almighty smack around the chops – the type that’s typically seen during a game of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While the Steam Deck is unlikely to send the Switch flying into the abyss like a well-aimed punch from Donkey Kong, a genuine contender for Nintendo’s hybrid console crown was bound to arrive sooner or later. And truth be told, I think Nintendo can consider itself fortunate that it’s taken this long. The Kyoto-based company has rested on its laurels in recent years with the Switch, and it’s this lack of proactivity that may have given competitors a big edge. That might sound like a ridiculous thing to say in the midst of the Nintendo Switch reaching 80 million units sold. But aside from the usual weekly releases of digital download titles, many of which are questionable releases, the Switch’s game output has slowed to a crawl. The biggest games for Switch have consisted mostly of ports from the Wii U, Wii and even Nintendo 3DS, while other “new” titles have been fairly safe remakes of games from generations ago. The feeling of an overwhelming amount of ports hasn’t been helped by interim releases like Ring Fit Adventure, Game Builder Garage and Nintendo Labo. Even though these titles are innovative in their own right, apart from Ring Fit Adventure, they haven’t found mainstream appeal Nintendo even had the gall to release Super Mario 3D All-Stars and then remove it from sale, which means this unambitious compilation is no longer available to purchase from the Nintendo Switch eShop and is only available at retailers while stocks last. Hardware issues have also become more prominent during the Switch’s lifespan, something that isn’t something we tend to associate with Nintendo. The Switch Joy-Con controllers are still prone to developing stick drift, even though it’s been almost five years since the console went on sale (although the issue can seemingly be fixed using a piece of paper). This lack of care and attention has also trickled down to the mismanaged Nintendo Switch eShop, and is evident in Nintendo’s paid online service, which continues to be lightyears behind what most players expect in 2021 in terms of reliable multiplayer connectivity and communication. A lack of meaningful system updates for the Switch only adds to the feelings of frustration that the console has stagnated – we still can’t create folders to organize games or access anything beyond two basic themes. It still doesn’t have Netflix, either. That’s not to say Nintendo has been completely complacent in keeping interest in the Switch high. The company released the Nintendo Switch Lite in 2019, a portable only system aimed at a younger demographic with a cheaper price point. And it even stealthily refreshed the original Switch without any fanfare (such as the Monster Hunter Rise console bundle), significantly improving the battery life.
