Summary
- The Switch 2 reveal appears to have impacted Steam Deck sales, causing it to drop from #3 to #47 on the Steam Charts.
- The Steam Deck had consistently remained in the top 10 of the weekly Steam Charts, making this the first time the console has fallen out.
The recent Nintendo Switch 2 reveal has seemingly impacted Steam Deck sales, as the handheld console has shifted from its #3 position to #47. The Switch 2 reveal took the gaming community by storm and certainly skyrocketed expectations. While this is good news for Nintendo, the Steam Deck’s recent numbers may suggest that the Switch’s successor is hurting its sales.
The Steam Deck offers players a wide range of games. Its powerful system can run highly demanding titles like God of War: Ragnarok, setting it apart from Nintendo’s console. Released in 2017, the Nintendo Switch allowed players to experience graphically advanced games either in handheld mode or by connecting the device to a screen. However, with the rapid advancement of technology, the Switch began to struggle with newer titles, and the Steam Deck came to fill that gap. Yet, in light of the possibility of a more powerful Nintendo system, the Steam Deck seems to be suffering.
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According to Steam Charts (via Twisted Voxel), the Steam Deck’s sales plummeted from its #3 ranking to #47 during the period from January 14, 2025, to January 21, 2025. The Steam Deck had consistently stayed in the top 10 of the weekly Steam charts, making this the first time the popular handheld console has been pushed out. Even though it is not 100% certain, the only major event during that period was Nintendo’s reveal of the Switch 2, which suggests that the excitement for the next console has hurt Steam Deck sales.
Steam Deck Sales Plummet from #3 to #47 in Rankings
Nintendo’s handheld console has been extremely successful, with the Switch reaching 143 million units sold globally in August 2024. These figures help explain how much the excitement for its successor could impact direct competition. Although Nintendo has revealed few details about the Switch 2, it is confirmed that the new console will hit the shelves in 2025.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will be larger than its predecessor and is expected to feature a more powerful system. Many details can be observed in the trailer, and one of the many features that have captured gamers’ attention is the new Joy-Cons. The new controllers won’t slide off the sides of the screen but will snap into place magnetically. Moreover, the trailer hints at the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons having mouse functionality, which could open the door for new games and gameplay mechanics.
While players eagerly await more detailed information about the Nintendo Switch 2 (likely to be delivered in the next Nintendo Direct on April 2), its impact on the gaming market can already be felt. It remains to be seen if the Steam Deck will recover from this setback and how much the Switch 2 will impact it in the future
Valve Steam Deck
- Dimensions
- 16 x 5 x 3 inches
- Brand
- Valve
- Weight
- 3.54 pounds
- Display
- 7-inch
- Battery
- 2 Lithium Ion batteries required
Having a portable console that mainly serves a purpose at home might seem strange, but the Valve Steam Deck showed that this is how many people choose to play video games.
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info