Nintendo Switch 2 performance could be comparable to Steam Deck

The Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t right around the corner anymore but information is still trickling out about detailed specifics, such as performance, and it now sounds like it may be comparable to the Steam Deck in that regard.

Not necessarily equal, but in close proximity to what the Steam Deck delivers. For Nintendo fans, that’s an exciting thought. One thing that has somewhat held the Nintendo Switch back for some gamers was its performance output. Although it needs to be said that The most loyal Nintendo fans still enjoy what the Nintendo Switch has to offer. Even without the kind of performance you get from a more powerful console.

That doesn’t mean, however, that fans haven’t wanted a more powerful version of the Switch. And if you’re a Nintendo Switch owner and have played games like Mortal Kombat 1 on it, then you know that a performance increase would be nice to have. This is where the rumor that the Nintendo Switch 2 has performance comparable to the Steam Deck gets interesting.

This information comes from Moore’s Law Is Dead on YouTube during the Broken Silicon podcast (via Wccftech). Other than the performance being comparable to the Steam Deck, it’s also noted that Nintendo’s upcoming console should have around 12GB of RAM. Additionally, it should have a better GPU than the Steam Deck and a CPU that is almost as good.

Nintendo Switch 2 performance could be behind Steam Deck in some areas

While the performance might end up being comparable, there are some things that are mentioned as likely to be clearly behind the Steam Deck in performance. Specifically with single-core CPU tasks. This could impact performance in some areas. It also sounds like the multi-core tasks will be on par or better.

It may also end up running a GPU that’s on the Ampere architecture with about 1536 CUDA cores and “running at a way higher clock speed.” That’s compared to the 256 CUDA cores on a Maxwell GPU in the Nintendo Switch.

Adding credibility to older details

It’s worth noting that this rumor about being comparable to Steam Deck adds credibility to another previous detail. Back in September of last year during the FTC vs. Microsoft case, evidence surfaced showing email correspondence between Nintendo and Activision. Nintendo had apparently shared details about the Switch 2 with Activision. Stating that the performance would be comparable to the PS4 and Xbox One.

Performance-wise, the Steam Deck sits sort of between the PS4 and PS4 Pro. However, the Steam Deck also has more modern GPU features to improve fidelity. So if the Switch 2 is going to be comparable to the Steam Deck, then we should be in for a noticeable upgrade in visuals and perhaps frame rate.