Switch 2 Faces Rising Competition from PC Handhelds

The Nintendo Switch 2 is launching sooner than anticipated, yet its hefty $449.99 price point and $79.99 game titles have dampened my initial excitement. Honestly, my Nintendo Switch has gathered dust since I got my hands on the Asus ROG Ally, and the successor's limitations—especially in today's handheld gaming PC era—only reinforce my hesitation.

The Asus ROG Ally Fulfills All My Gaming Needs

Handheld gaming has been my passion since childhood—from the Game Boy and Nintendo DS to the PlayStation Portable. There's nothing quite like curling up under blankets and diving into games from bed. I was even one of the rare PlayStation Vita enthusiasts, playing daily during college commutes.

Back in 2017, the Nintendo Switch amazed me, but I mostly reserved it for exclusives. If a game felt better suited for handheld play, my brain insisted on playing it there, creating a mental "handheld-only" category. Yet whenever those games were free on Epic, Game Pass, or Humble Choice, buying them again on Switch felt wasteful—especially given Nintendo's infrequent discounts.

The Asus ROG Ally shattered that frustrating cycle in 2023. Running Windows 11, it grants access to Steam, Game Pass, Epic Games, and more. Suddenly, titles I avoided on PC became bedtime favorites. Without it, I’d have never experienced gems like Celeste or Resident Evil Remake—games I already owned, eliminating the need for costly repurchases.

While Nintendo’s exclusives still hold nostalgia for me, the recent Switch 2 Direct left me questioning its role in my life. The original Switch stood out with its hybrid design and affordability, but times have changed.

The Switch 2 Faces Stiff Competition

At $449, the Switch 2 enters a crowded market—now competing with $499 PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles. Since 2017, rivals like the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and rumored Xbox handhelds have emerged. For existing handheld PC owners, its uniqueness fades.

Modern handheld PCs boast robust hardware, expansive libraries, and compatibility with owned games. With advancing chipsets like AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme, the gap will only widen. Unless you crave Nintendo’s exclusives, the value proposition weakens—especially with titles like Mario Kart World priced at $79.99 and rarely discounted.

Nintendo’s legendary exclusives may justify the cost for some, but as a handheld PC user, I need more. Devices like the Legion Go offer superior performance and vast game libraries. My ROG Ally handles everything I once relied on the Switch for—and with multiple storefronts, it’s simply the better platform.