Request a product

Nintendo Switch 2 vs Valve Steam Deck OLED

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

NintendoSwitch 2ValveSteam Deck OLED
Overview
ReleasedJune 2025November 2023
Performance
TypeHybridHandheld
CPUCustom NVIDIA processor, 8-core Arm Cortex-A78CAMD Zen 2, 4 cores / 8 threads
GPUNVIDIA Ampere, 1,536 CUDA coresAMD RDNA 2, 8 CUs
GPU compute–1.6 TFLOPS
Memory12 GB16 GB
Storage256 GB512 GB, 1 TB
Disc driveNoNo
CPUCustom processor made by NVIDIA; 8 Arm Cortex-A78C cores, 6 available to games; 1101 MHz handheld, 998 MHz docked (Nintendo developer documentation, reported by Digital Foundry)6 nm AMD APU; Zen 2, 4 cores / 8 threads, 2.4–3.5 GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32); APU power 4–15 W
GPUNVIDIA Ampere GPU with RT cores and Tensor cores for DLSS; 1,536 CUDA cores at 561 MHz handheld and 1007 MHz docked, 3.072 TFLOPS docked (Nintendo developer documentation, reported by Digital Foundry)8 RDNA 2 compute units at 1.6 GHz (1.6 TFlops FP32)
Memory detail12 GB in two 6 GB modules; iFixit identified Micron LPDDR5 in one console; 102 GB/s docked, 68 GB/s handheld; 3 GB reserved for the system (Digital Foundry)16 GB LPDDR5 on-board, 6400 MT/s, quad 32-bit channels
Storage detail256 GB UFS; part is reserved for the systemNVMe SSD
Storage expansionmicroSD Express cards up to 2 TB; other microSD cards can only be used to copy screenshots and videosHigh-speed microSD slot (UHS-I; SD, SDHC and SDXC)
Display and video
Maximum output4K up to 120 fps8K up to 120 fps
Built-in screen7.9″ LCD, 1920 × 1080, 120 Hz7.4″ OLED, 1280 × 800, 90 Hz
Built-in screenCapacitive touch screen; 7.9-inch wide colour gamut LCD; HDR10; VRR up to 120 Hz (NVIDIA G-SYNC in handheld mode); brightness sensor1280 × 800 HDR OLED touchscreen; 1,000 nits peak (HDR), 600 nits (SDR); contrast over 1,000,000:1; 110% P3; under 0.1 ms response; dual ambient light sensors. 1 TB model has premium anti-glare etched glass
Video outputHDMI through the dock in TV mode; up to 3840 × 2160 at 60 fps; 120 fps at 1920 × 1080 or 2560 × 1440DisplayPort over USB-C; up to 8K at 60 Hz or 4K at 120 Hz
HDRHDR10HDR on the built-in OLED screen
Variable refresh rateUp to 120 Hz on the built-in screen–
AudioStereo speakers; linear PCM 5.1ch over HDMI in TV mode; built-in microphone with noise and echo cancellation; 3.5 mm headset jackStereo speakers with embedded DSP; dual microphone array; 3.5 mm headset jack; multichannel audio over DisplayPort, USB-C or Bluetooth
Design and power
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 6.5 hoursUp to 12 hours
Weight534 g640 g
Battery life detailAbout 2 to 6.5 hours; charges in about 3 hours. Nintendo lists a non-replaceable 5220 mAh battery variant (401 g console, 534 g with Joy-Con 2) and a user-replaceable 5172 mAh variant (441 g, 548 g with Joy-Con 2)50 Wh; 3–12 hours of gameplay depending on content
Power use19 W average while gaming in TV mode; 8 W on the HOME Menu; 0.5 W in sleep mode45 W USB PD 3.0 power supply with 2.5 m cable
In the box–Steam Deck OLED, 45 W power supply, carrying case (with removable liner on the 1 TB model)
Connections
Ports2 × USB-C on the console (bottom for charging and the dock, top for accessories); dock has 2 × USB 2.0, HDMI and LAN1 × USB-C (DisplayPort over USB-C, USB 3 Gen 2, charging), 3.5 mm headset jack, microSD slot
Wi-Fi and BluetoothWi-Fi 6, Bluetooth; wired LAN through the dock in TV modeTri-band Wi-Fi 6E (2.4, 5 and 6 GHz, 2 × 2 MIMO), Bluetooth 5.3
ControllerDetachable Joy-Con 2 (L) and (R) with HD rumble 2, mouse sensor, NFC; about 20 hours per chargeBuilt-in controls with A/B/X/Y, D-pad, analogue triggers, bumpers, 4 assignable grip buttons, 2 full-size analogue sticks with capacitive touch, 2 × 32.5 mm square haptic trackpads, HD haptics and a 6-axis gyro
Backward compatibilityPlays compatible physical and digital Nintendo Switch games; some are unsupported or have issuesRuns Steam games natively on SteamOS 3 or through Proton; KDE Plasma desktop mode

More comparisons