Steam Deck Sales Business As Usual For Valve During Week Of Switch 2 Reveal

Personally that's why I haven't got one.

Interesting. But still, I doubt Valve and Nintendo are worried too much about each other. In my opinion, the markets for both are quite different.

For me, it's more the fact that I already have too much content to consume on Switch, that I don't need any other platforms to carry around. I probably have 200 games on the switch but stick to Mario Party, and Splatoon for the overwhelming majority of my playtime.

I've been wanting one so I could play my PC games otg but ever since they announced the announcement of the Switch 2 last year I'm holding out. I'll just wait for a gen 2 Steam Deck. Since Switch 2 is coming out there's no point getting a Steam Deck now so I'll just wait it out. Hopefully Valve announces something by next year.

Could we see Nintendo and Valve partner one of these days?

Funny enough I've been eyeing buying a Steam Deck for a bit and pretty much the only reason I haven't within the past few weeks is I've been waiting to get an idea of the date and price of the Switch 2. I'll likely get one at some point regardless but kind of inclined to prioritize Nintendo.

...I feel like I wasted money on this "Switch killer" of a system...

I actually did just get one - I’ve been trading things in at CEX and saving up my credit. I’ve been wanting something that can emulate PS2 games and use to remote play PS4 while my wife watches TV. It’s not really something I’m gonna take out and about though, I’d need to buy a bigger bag and more power banks.

@Joeynator3000 It's definitely a novelty device. I ended up selling mine for parts for a PC, since it was just a worse PC in a portable format.

Can't wait for Switch 2 and only this. Steam Deck does not have the exclusives of Nintendo and 2nd parties etc..

@nkarafo I mean...it CAN. Nintendo just doesn't want you to know about it.

I said this before, but Steam Deck and Switch has very little (if at all) audience overlap. Their audience scale is also not remotely comparable.

Steam Deck sales also was inevitably gonna start dipping down after the enthusiasts got them while more and more modern release AAA games keep dropping that struggles hard on a Steam deck that you have to severely gimp down the settings to run semi well.

Lot of Valve fans want them to announce a SD 2 already, but Valve already said it’s gonna be at least another generation off.

• Someone that owns both Switch OLED and SD OLED 1 TB

Certainly did for me. I’m not buying one any time soon since I know I wouldn’t touch it once Switch 2 was out. I’d barely touch it as is. I don’t care about inaccurate emulation as I play old games on original hardware.

Poor little Steam Deck.

@PoeTheLizard Oh I see, I think via emulators etc... Ok..

The SD is a fantastic bit of kit and if Switch 2 matches it's output, we are in for a good time.

I'm Switch 2 and PC next gen and that's the point. 2 separate offerings, I don't see them in competition.

It'd be cool if Nintendo made a system that could dual boot into ARM Linux. Then it could actually compete against those PC handhelds.

Half Life 3 confirmed 😅

@VoidofLight My main problems are just...it's so freakin' buggy...and heavy...and the touch pads are a pain to use ironically, I normally don't like gaming on my PC, but playing games on the Deck just has its own problems. My Deck just sits there collecting dust, and when I feel like I want to give it a chance, I recharge it and get it ready, only to forget about quickly and go back to playing games on the Switch instead. lol

If only Steam were able to go on Switch 2. Now that would be epic!

I currently have a PC and a Switch. I don't see the point in getting a Steam Deck with Switch 2 around the corner....

This is a one way competition. This is so like Nintendo, minding their business, totally unaware of how big they can be and impacting the entire videogame industry every time they release something big. Like the complete void of announcements around TOTK's release.

@Dazman You mean that would be Valve? (I'm super proud of that ridiculous joke)

If Nintendo has 3rd parties on board and the S2 gets a decent number of the best ports to it (Elden Ring, Baldurs Gate 3 that sort of thing) then for most people there will be no need to own a Steamdeck.

While it is a good piece of kit, it still doesn't 'just work' straight out of the box and you will often still run into configuration issues on certain games plus the compatibility stuff. Switching to 'tv mode' is just nowhere near as easy either.

So for the majority of people the Steamdeck just won't be the device for them.

Unless you want a killer emulation machine that is...

They're both on different market, and for me the problem with steam deck oled is it's more expensive than ps5, and I already have pc, so I can already play all steam deck games. Steam games is more cheaper than switch games in my country though.

There is are a huge difference when it comes to availability of Steam Deck vs other PC Handhelds + Nintendo.

Steam Deck are only sold in selected countries, while Nintendo, MSI, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, Zotac etc. sell all their things globally.

@Rhaoulos I see what you did there

@Shepdawg1

no. the markets are the same, the audience is different.

people need to get this right

@wiiware

the market is video games / console or pc doesn't matter.

the audience is what is different, pc gamers and young people vs nintendo's catch all audience, young, old, families, kids, dogs.

the machines, nintendo's and valves hardware, and nintendo's software specifically are vastly different in who they target, audience wise

@Joeynator3000 Yeah, the Steamdeck is super heavy and the way the controls are laid out doesn't really help with the clunky feeling. I also really don't like the whole steamdeck smell thing, or the issues that come with the vent system on the console. I was setting up my Steamdeck for sale (wiping the data), only for the vents at the top to burn my hand when I touched them. People say the exhaust smells good, but I really don't think it does.

My Steam Deck backlog has always looked to be impacted by NS2 the most, but it will still have access to plenty of games variably hard to expect reappearing on any modern platforms.

@nkarafo and most people with an actual emulation experience don't want to know much about it themselves because emulating current generation hardware on a feature-lacking platform is never something to jump through hoops for in the presence of the straightforward alternative.

The problem I have with the Steam Deck is it's just so big and ugly. I think they should get rid of the touchpads and slim it down across the board. It does look more ergonomic than Switch 2 though, which is a big advantage imo.

I tell you what though, if a Steam Deck ever gets powerful enough to run full PC VR games and I can literally just plug a VR headset into it and use it basically as portable VR, man, I might just buy into it to be honest. I mean, it looks like Nintendo has zero interest in taking VR seriously, and boy do I take VR seriously. So that could be what gives a future Steam Deck the win over whatever Switch version in my own preference.

And, note, the Steam Deck would have to be able to run this PC VR natively out the box, so I wouldn't have to faff around with nerd crap installing new operating systems and a bunch of random software and hacks made so obtuse that only geeks can be bothered trying it. It needs to be as frictionless as just plugging the headset in, opening my Steam library, picking one of the VR games I have there and go.

I was about to buy 160 million steam decks but then the switch 2 announcement dropped

@timp29 Nintendo can't keep getting away with this!!!!!

A slump in sales? Woah...
Something tells me these sales will be affected even more in general when official specs and capabilities of the Switch 2 are officially revealed, either positively or negatively depending on how powerful it would be, to stand the test of time at least.

The cheapest Steam Deck is A$649, as long as the Switch 2 is less than A$500, I’ll be happy. A$400-A$450 is the sweet spot imo.

@ViewtifulCool sure but there is also a big overlap in the audience, since lots of games appear on both...and the price of the switch 2 will also be quite close... (i actually probably will buy some type of steamdeck-like device sometimes, but decided to reserve my money for the switch 2 this year..

I bought one of those ROGAlly doohickeys at the end of last year, and I have to say..
... Windows absolutely sucks for this kind of device.
If you're shopping for something, go with SteamDeck.

(* I'm aware it's becoming easier to put SteamOS onto the ROGally. I just need to find time to do that!)

@romanista true. i don't think anyone will rival the switch at the moment and nintendo's brand, it's also that and how would they market the steam-deck for mums? it's not as friendly and "nice" as nintendo's family-friendly image. nintendo's price-points are always lower, because they keep their hardware-costs down by going under-powered to other consoles, that are in a different league really, and again, appeal to a "different" type of person.

there's not a lot of overlap on the hardware as i said, nintendo mums or more casual gamers and for kids will go for a switch.

multiple kids in your family and they both now want their own console or handheld... there's only really one option, another reason why the switch is the second best-selling console, they are selling to multiple households now, not just one home-console, like the others. nintendo's hand-helds have mostly always seen these good numbers because families and children would have multiples per household. steam deck is not really a thing many young children would want. add nintenod's great ip's and exclusive games and it's hard to rival.

@Duncanballs Same. I’ve pretty much abandoned Xbox/Playstation in favour of Switch/2 and Steam Deck (and whatever the next handheld PC I get going forwards). 2 very different kinds of devices that are both worth owning.

@larryisaman Steam and Game pass on one, Nintendo on the other. That's all I need.

@ViewtifulCool oh I agree, just saying that for a certain type of person (like me) the fact that the switch 2 is lauching soon did make me delay (maybe forever) buying a steamdeck...

I love my Steam Deck and I love my Switch. While they are similar in some aspects they are two completely different machines. I love my PC even more though 🤪

Also, I hope that “surprise reveal” quip was meant to be tongue in cheek. There was absolutely nothing surprising about the Switch 2 reveal, everyone else had already leaked it LOL.

@Chimichanga not sure what country you’re in so maybe that’s a factor but the U.S. storefront has the cheapest Steam Deck at $399 (https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck/).

@Shepdawg1 I think you're right. I would guess steam deck owners fall into two main camps. The first is die hard PC gamers, no interest in consoles whatsoever. The second is people who just love to game and already own a Switch. Either way neither Nintendo nor Valve need be worried about cannibalization.

I will get both. SD for indies and jrpgs, amazing sales, and back compatibility. Switch 2 for Nintendo exclusives (Zeldaaaaa!).

My steamdeck has been a nice bridge between my switch and whatever was next, switch 2. The last 2-3 years of it, my switch has been my secondary console. It is dockable and you can use any controller. So for less then $500, you get an upgraded switch that had access to years of my already purchased pc games. I admit I can’t wait to get a switch 2, but I bet a lot of the games that aren’t 1st party, I’m already paying on the go, like bg3 and rdr2 at the moment.
It’s also a portable ps4/5.so I don’t know why anyone doesn’t have one.

@Joeynator3000 I only feel that way because of the linux operating system.

Since that list is driven by the price and less the quantity, not sure I’ve put a lot of stock into the Switch 2 effecting the sales of Steam Deck. The upcoming Lenovo Legion S with SteamOS is going to impact their Steam Deck sales more than the Switch.

NL, no matter how much you push this device to your audience doesn’t make it true for the 95-97% of Switch users who likely don’t game on PC; about the majority say the Switch is their only gaming device.

The iPhone hurts Switch sales more, yet you still don’t think big AAA games coming to it is a “big deal.” I think you want to be called Valve Life somedays.

I just want Valve to make a new Steam Controller... that thing is awesome.

I actually think that these two share more of a market than people think, many third party games that I would have bought on Switch, or heck even these rereleases like Donkey Kong, I'll just buy on Steam or emulate the originals.

I haven't touched my Switch Oled in months, the Steam Deck Oled has completely replaced it.

It's way easier for me to game portable, so I have an SD and a Lite. I did "double dip" on a few games (Skyrim, Witcher 3, Castlevania Anniversary Collection-though the last I think looks better on the Lite which is why I bought it again) but got an SD on a sale. I do have an OG Switch docked on a TV but I can't count on two hands the number of times I sat and played it. The kids use that one.

I like the variety both consoles give. Like others said-I have access to both Nintendo games and the PC titles I enjoy.

The Deck is intended as a way to play your existing Steam library on a handheld. I don't think Valve envisioned it as a genuine competitor to Switch. The sales numbers are not comparable.

I'm sure we'll see a similar temporary drop in interest in the Deck when the Lenovo handheld with SteamOS support launches. But I don't think Valve would mind. They don''t make any money on the hardware.

As for myself, I bought a Deck mainly for game development and only play it on the rare occasion a title is not available on Switch. Parking Garage Rally Circuit and Sonic & All Stars are the only two titles that come to mind.

I've never been a huge PC gamer, so my Steam library is only a handful of games. Had they launched around the same time, I probably would've purchased a Switch and Steam Deck due to Steam sales, but they didn't, and my library on the Switch ensures that it's the main console for me (until the Switch 2 releases).

I'd consider one of the other PC handhelds for 3rd party games/MS/Sony first party, but as time is my most limited resource, I'm holding off for now.

I love my Switch and will get Switch 2, but nothing will ever beat Steam’s library or prices. 99% of all quality games are available on Steam. Literally Nintendo, Vanillaware, and Epic are the only companies not putting games on Steam.

I don't really see how the announcement would impact the steam deck, it was never going to do numbers like the switch lineup. That said, aside from the actual Nintendo games, most of the games are going to be cheaper on the deck than the switch down the line.

I'm still waiting for Metroid prime 4 and now that amazon cancelled my preorder fron 2018 (the year I got the switch), I guess I don't have to worry about any possible double dip scenario.

Steam Deck is GREAT!
Steam’s library or prices = unbeatable

It's interesting, but I doubt either the Switch 2 or the Steam Deck 2 to come are any danger to one another. It's really meant for a very different audience.

As someone who owns a PC, Steam Deck, and Switch Lite, it really comes down to the games. I personally don't care for any Nintendo first-party titles apart from AC and Pikmin, so for me, the Lite is more than enough. Everything else I get from PC, so the Steam Deck is a natural complement.

But for gamers that are really into Nintendo's first parties, obviously, the Switch 2 is going to be a bigger deal than a Steam Deck. Not to mention Parents buying for kids are much more likely to go for Nintendo.

But at the end of the day, they each have a valid place, and depending on who you are, I can easily see why you'd much rather one over the other.

@Donutman I know why, the Steam Deck still behaves like a PC and not a console. There’s still a learning curve attached it. The majority Switch audience has decided the Steam Deck isn’t worth their time, especially if their time is free.

For example, Far Cry 5’s controller is broken by Steam’s controller overlay, they still haven’t fixed it at all. This is a Valve issue, not Ubisoft.

I sold my Steam Deck for the Legion Go, but my Switch OLED still gets WAY more play than it does. Even for my 3rd party titles. Batman Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are far easier to play on the Switch than the Deck. Don’t chime in and say “It works, you just didn’t switch Proton layers,” or whatever fifteen step system people like talk down with.

Both have their own market.
Valve is in a save spot, because you can play your whole backlog on the go without having the need to rebuy them.

Same as with the switch 2. We can play all yhe games we already have without having the need to rebuy those games. I only wish the existing games would make use of the power of the switch 2.

@progx the most I have done with any game is look up the best graphic settings for baldurs gate 3 because when playing on the tv, there was so much shine to everyone’s hair i had to do something. Outside that, I use my Xbox and my pro controller and to play everything on my tv, or just play it on the go with no issues. I’m sure the legion go is better, but I have no complaints with mine and it gets more use then my ps5 and its portal, combined. Sadly I think I’ve played more playstion games on steamdeck then on my ps5 the last 2 years too.

@Joeynator3000 didn't do anything like kill the switch for me, it really made me go back to it and ditch my Steamdeck.

So you guys are not going to update the article stating that it was a mistake? The "business as usual" part doesn't count. That's playing it off as of it were true to begin with.

https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/01/steam-deck-sales-drop-hard-following-the-nintendo-switch-2-announcement/

I love my steam deck. I’ll buy a game digital on steam just because I hate eshop lol

I really want a SteamDeck. I hate that I wasn't able to get one before now. I'm still thinking of charging one once I get a stable job. The chances of the Switch 2 being a must-have on day one is very slim.

https://store.steampowered.com/charts/topsellers/global/2025-1-14

Seems like there was an issue that is now fixed, Steam Deck actually ranked at #4 during the week from Jan 14 to Jan 21.

In other words, the Switch 2 reveal had 0 impact on the Steam Deck.

Twistedvoxel and associated sites steal from other content creators and websites. It's bad form to reference them for anything.

@Koffeeking0407
It’s literally in my comment, A$= Australian dollar. US$399 exchange rate is A$632.

I got my steam deck as a gift for looking after my brother's web company for a work week.

While I love the steam deck, if the switch 2 had been out at the time I would have just gotten one of those.

Also as others have said they both fill different niches so they are not 1 to 1.

@SoIDecidedTo Oh do I know the feeling. As life became busier and busier I got rid of everything and just have Switch. That alone is hard enough to keep up with.

Regardless, I still want a Steam Deck.

Sorry guys but seing this comments(and 100% understanding your opinion/history) I have to bê the one to vote for steam deck, not only for me its leagues better then the Switch in controls departament (Control, grip, customization etc...), its so much cheaper to buy games on it and you bet the performance Will always be leagues better than the Switch, this console is the sole reason I took one and Half years to beat TOTK because I couldnt stand going back to my Switch OLED, Steam Deck(alongside New updates on SteamOS) was an incredible HISTORICAL achivement for gaming (and LINUX).

I'm excited for Switch 2 but it and the Steamdeck occupy different spaces, despite the form factor similarities and neither will have a significant impact on the others sales. I've considered the Steamdeck many times but it's not for me and not because I own a Switch but because I have a powerful PC and now a Quest 3 and I just don't know when I'd even use it

Ahh yes the ol convenient “it’s just a glitch” story, works like a charm.

@GASEOUS This is my same scenario, I used to finish Switch games within a reasonable amount of time until I got a Steamdeck. I still haven’t finished TOTK, even though I was super hyped for it before release.

Such a classic business move. We are responsible for millions of dollars in transactions and employ lots of people whose families depend on us but we can’t accurately track our income generation.

People on the other sites may think this article has been blatantly pro Nintendo, and there is a clear correction statement that this was based on valve’s original figures. Much like PlayStation 2, what business can’t keep track of their sales figures? I’d be embarrassed to be valve.

@SoIDecidedTo I probably have 500 games on Switch and am pushing 3TB across two systems

The Steamdecks OK I bought one from my brother inlaw when he wanted an OLED Steamdeck to replacehis original. Its unreliable random games just don't respond, start up or hafe bad performance. Because it just plays PC games and not specialised Steamdeck releases its an afterthought for developers.

I prefer the Switch and think the Switch is a far better system largely because games are designed for it. So if you buy a game for it you know its going to work. Plus I prefer physical to digital.

@timp29 Yeah, I don't believe for a second that these big companies aren't very carefully tracking these stats.

Comes off more as saving face, and because theres no transparency we dont know what the Steamdeck sold. Did they fix it, or did they "fix" it by weighing sales of Steamdecks stronger so it requires fewer to sales to be higher in the chart?

@timp29 "employ lots of people" Valve is actually known for having an extremely minimal staff compared to other companies its size. Sometimes that is not ideal as they have been known to take forever to fix bugs or roll out new promised features. So I could actually see this as being an honest mistake. Generally I don't think PC gamers hold them to as high a standard as console gamers hold their companies to. The Steam Deck as much as I love it was not fit for release when it went on sale. Though they have released constant patches and things are much improved, it is still full of bugs across the system software (and I am not talking about running the games themselves). In its current highly patched and mended state, if it were to launch today as a "console", I think it would be highly panned by gamers and reviewers alike for how unstable it is. However it is a "PC" and those are held to different standards.

I really liked my LCD Deck when I got it, but when I got my OLED Deck it truly felt like the nicest system I'd ever owned. As a frame rate fanatic I've been completely enthralled by the ability to set the screen's refresh rate to all kinds of crazy numbers from like 14hz to 51hz to 72hz to 82hz on up to 90hz. I used to still play Switch all the time while owning a Deck, but after they attacked indie devs and tried to destroy emulators and the teams that work on them I've lost interest in supporting Nintendo. So I only buy stuff for my Deck and laptop, and emulate what isn't for sale on those systems. Seems like corporations like Nintendo and Rockstar could just stop attacking modders and youtubers, but I'm not holding my breath.
Finally, this is off topic, but I wish Lossless Scaling would come to Steam Deck. I want to be able to experiment with fixing frame rates without having to install Windows on my Deck.

@Milk_ thanks for some insight into valve’s operation. I’ve got no problem with the steam deck, would happily own one but I would probably never have time to play it
Clearly valve has done a lot right, but I’m a little surprised they got their sales figures wrong. Whether you have a lot or a few employees, that’s people who depend on you. It’s worth having accurate figures so you can pay them etc

Such a non-story.

I always find it funny how people are seriously comparing Switch and Steam Deck sales. One is another handheld, more with added dock, from a company with over 40 years of gaming experience, sold all over the world and available in countless stores, with any payment method available, including interest-free installments. The other is somewhere between a handheld pc and a handheld console, no dock included, sold in select countries and only from a single online retailer, either for money or store credit, no interest free installments and no installments at all outside of the US. The availability and ease to obtain both of these, particularly in countries with lower salaries, is vastly different.

Cya
Raziel-chan

I have a Steamdeck with around 400 games, I find I use it very rarely. I do play my switch at least 3 times a week though including some family time games.

I think the bigger question is, am I missing something or why are they ranking Steam Deck sales as if they were software sales?

Steam Deck Oled is a masterpiece, but still having a Switch for their exclusives ofcourse