The biggest pitfall of this article and the video is that it was posted here. Of course there is going to be pushback. This site is not neutral ground and the readers will defend the Switch with a cult like fervor. This is not a bad thing, this is a site where Nintendo faithful can meet and discuss their system/company of choice.
Now, when it comes to this being a powerful alternative to the Switch... I am not so sure. While the Neo Air does come close in size, it comes no where close in price. Now, the base model Steam Deck... at $50US more than the OLED Switch makes a much more compelling case. Yes it is a "thicc boi", you do need to tinker a bit more with setting, and it does not have Nintendo exclusives, but it does make an argument for being a Switch competitor. The Switch does take the upper hand in ease of use, so I would probably not recommend it for a younger kid, but teens and above would have no problem with the Deck.
At the end of the day, it all depends on what you are playing. If you are primarily a third party and indie game player then I would steer you towards the Deck. If you are a Nintendo faithful, the Switch is for you.
One of the biggest things I see pointed out is the battery life of the portable PCs vs. the Switch. From personal experience, I get about the same battery life playing Horizon Zero Dawn on my Steam Deck as I did playing Breath of the Wild on my Switch. Both are taxing AAA titles. I also get about the same battery life playing Hades and Cult of the Lamb on my Deck that my son gets on his Steam Deck. At this point everything is relative.
Final thing, as for people saying they don't need an updated Switch... yes you do. We all do. The Switch is a 6 year old system that debuted on an already two year old CPU/GPU. It is showing its age. The latest Pokemon is taxing the system and would benefit from a beefier set of hardware. Nvidia is currently designing and showing off Tegra chips with Ampere based graphics (the same tech found in Nvidia's 30 series graphics cards). Imagine having a Switch 2 with that level of power.
@jaybird0922 I love how people make it sound like you can only have one console. If you can afford it, why not just get the consoles that have the games you want and not worry about being blindly obedient to one company. Personally I do not care about console wars or where the games are that I want to play, just as long as I get to play those games.
@OldMcGroin I think they just mean it is quite a bit larger than the Neo Air or the Switch... and in that regard they are 100% correct. The Steam Deck is rather thicc and chonky. It is my favorite gaming device at the moment, and fits well in my hands but I have large hands.
@sanderev I kind of wish the Switch allowed me to adjust settings in game to make them run well. It would allow us to tweak the settings in the latest Pokemon games to make them run better. The biggest strength for consoles can sometimes be the biggest achilles heel, you are stuck with the programmer's settings and if there is something causing it to slow down you have to wait for the manufacturer to patch it. I love my Switch, PS5, and Series X, but I love that I can tweak settings on my PC and Steam deck to better fit with the hardware.
@Gaviin The Andromeda soundtrack was also pretty baller. The only reason I did not include it is because was because it was missing Clint Mansell, his tracks are what made the trilogy soundtracks so good.
At first I was disappointed by Andromeda due to all the bugs, but I decided to give it a shot this past summer before the LE Trilogy release hit and I was impressed with the story and mechanics of it all. I would like to get some more adventures in that universe.
Comments 7
Re: GameCube Games Confirmed For Nintendo Switch Online On Switch 2
This is awesome. My only gripe is that I wish we were getting the WiiU version of Wind Waker, it is superior to the GameCube version.
Re: Disney Dreamlight Valley Teases A New Animal Companion - With A HAT
I would love to see them bring Figment to Dreamlight Valley.
Re: Video: A Closer Look At The Aya Neo Air, A Powerful Alternative To The Switch
The biggest pitfall of this article and the video is that it was posted here. Of course there is going to be pushback. This site is not neutral ground and the readers will defend the Switch with a cult like fervor. This is not a bad thing, this is a site where Nintendo faithful can meet and discuss their system/company of choice.
Now, when it comes to this being a powerful alternative to the Switch... I am not so sure. While the Neo Air does come close in size, it comes no where close in price. Now, the base model Steam Deck... at $50US more than the OLED Switch makes a much more compelling case. Yes it is a "thicc boi", you do need to tinker a bit more with setting, and it does not have Nintendo exclusives, but it does make an argument for being a Switch competitor. The Switch does take the upper hand in ease of use, so I would probably not recommend it for a younger kid, but teens and above would have no problem with the Deck.
At the end of the day, it all depends on what you are playing. If you are primarily a third party and indie game player then I would steer you towards the Deck. If you are a Nintendo faithful, the Switch is for you.
One of the biggest things I see pointed out is the battery life of the portable PCs vs. the Switch. From personal experience, I get about the same battery life playing Horizon Zero Dawn on my Steam Deck as I did playing Breath of the Wild on my Switch. Both are taxing AAA titles. I also get about the same battery life playing Hades and Cult of the Lamb on my Deck that my son gets on his Steam Deck. At this point everything is relative.
Final thing, as for people saying they don't need an updated Switch... yes you do. We all do. The Switch is a 6 year old system that debuted on an already two year old CPU/GPU. It is showing its age. The latest Pokemon is taxing the system and would benefit from a beefier set of hardware. Nvidia is currently designing and showing off Tegra chips with Ampere based graphics (the same tech found in Nvidia's 30 series graphics cards). Imagine having a Switch 2 with that level of power.
Re: Video: A Closer Look At The Aya Neo Air, A Powerful Alternative To The Switch
@jaybird0922 I love how people make it sound like you can only have one console. If you can afford it, why not just get the consoles that have the games you want and not worry about being blindly obedient to one company. Personally I do not care about console wars or where the games are that I want to play, just as long as I get to play those games.
Re: Video: A Closer Look At The Aya Neo Air, A Powerful Alternative To The Switch
@OldMcGroin I think they just mean it is quite a bit larger than the Neo Air or the Switch... and in that regard they are 100% correct. The Steam Deck is rather thicc and chonky. It is my favorite gaming device at the moment, and fits well in my hands but I have large hands.
Re: Video: A Closer Look At The Aya Neo Air, A Powerful Alternative To The Switch
@sanderev I kind of wish the Switch allowed me to adjust settings in game to make them run well. It would allow us to tweak the settings in the latest Pokemon games to make them run better. The biggest strength for consoles can sometimes be the biggest achilles heel, you are stuck with the programmer's settings and if there is something causing it to slow down you have to wait for the manufacturer to patch it. I love my Switch, PS5, and Series X, but I love that I can tweak settings on my PC and Steam deck to better fit with the hardware.
Re: Talking Point: Which Video Game Song Could You Listen To For Ten Hours?
@Gaviin The Andromeda soundtrack was also pretty baller. The only reason I did not include it is because was because it was missing Clint Mansell, his tracks are what made the trilogy soundtracks so good.
At first I was disappointed by Andromeda due to all the bugs, but I decided to give it a shot this past summer before the LE Trilogy release hit and I was impressed with the story and mechanics of it all. I would like to get some more adventures in that universe.