Steam Deck OLED Size Compared to Switch 2

Someone who managed to get their hands on the Nintendo Switch 2 ahead of time recently compared the new console’s size to the Steam Deck OLED. On June 5, Nintendo will finally release the Switch 2, its next mainline console and successor to the very popular Nintendo Switch. Back when the Nintendo Switch 2 was announced on January 16, gamers got to see how much bigger the new console is than its predecessor, especially when it comes to its detachable Joy-Con 2 controllers.

During the over eight-year-long wait between the release of the original Nintendo Switch and the impending launch of the Switch 2, Valve released its own portable system in the form of the Steam Deck. This handheld sports a similar design to the Switch in its portable tablet mode, and allows Steam users to take their PC libraries with them on the go. About a year after the Steam Deck’s 2022 launch, Valve released an updated model with a sharper OLED screen and other improvements. This Steam Deck OLED is the same size as the original version, though it weighs slightly less.

With the Nintendo Switch 2 little over a month from release, some gamers are naturally comparing it to Valve’s Steam Deck. One such person in particular, the German YouTube user Steam Dad, got to try out the new system during a special Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on event in Berlin and shared his thoughts in a recent video. This includes comparing it to the Steam Deck OLED, which is shown to be significantly larger and thicker.

Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck Sizes

Nintendo Switch 2: Approximately 4.5 inches tall, 10.7 inches wide, and 0.55 inches thick (with Joy-Con 2 controllers attached).

Steam Deck OLED: 4.6 inches tall, 11.7 inches wide, and 1.8 inches thick.

It should be noted that the Switch 2’s screen takes up more of the console’s space in comparison to the Steam Deck, and some Reddit users on r/NintendoSwitch2 have noted that much of the Steam Deck’s bulk is empty space to allow more airflow into the system. Others have pointed out that the Steam Deck has additional features like touchpads that the Switch 2 does not, which take up more room and prevent the Steam Deck from having its face buttons directly under the joysticks as the Switch 2 does.

The Switch 2’s screen has also drawn comparisons due to only being an LCD, which Nintendo executives say is due to the advancements in LCD technology since the release of the original Switch. However, they promise that the Switch 2 will support HDR, something that the original Switch didn’t do even with its OLED variant. There is also the possibility that Nintendo will eventually release an OLED version of the Switch 2 in the future, just like it did with the original Switch and Valve did with the Steam Deck.