Tldr switch wins on most counts. Mostly due to bespoke effort to make it run better. Also docked. Go for a deck anyway.
I am at a point that I kinda long for an update. Like the HTC Vive > Valve Index.
I know there are beefier handhelds but AFAIK the difference is not high enough for me to justificate an upgrade. Its really games released this year. Before, FSR 3 makes almost anything playable on Deck.
Most games on Switch 2 will be bespoke ports while Deck will run Windows versions through a compatibility layer because Proton made devs forgo Linux native versions. Those tests were done in both handheld and docked. For handheld there are pros and cons for both but Switch looks much better, has better battery life (although with more dips below target framerate). Docked Switch simply blows the Deck away but that’s not a real life scenario really as you’ve said.
This is not a one-off, Switch is just newer hardware that’s carried by DLSS too. If you game on a budget you can buy and sell used copies on Switch as well. Not as simple decision as you make it out to be.
The tests that outperformed were in docked (not handheld) mode anyway, which means comparing this to the Deck is not really valid. Compare it to a gaming PC or console instead.
Thanks forgot. Edited.
Steam deck won’t play the latest Zelda and Mario and that’s why I have a gaming pc and will buy a switch 2 when I find one.
Wait a few months, Switch 2 seems so similar to Switch 1 its possible that is the reason Nintendo went so aggressively against Yuzu and Ryujinx. Developers could easily fork the code to get a massive head start on a Switch 2 emulator, again assuming that the architectures are similar enough.
