Switch v Steam

[Tanooki]

I know I've said it before about it in the primary thread, but I find it hard at times to justify buying a game on Switch when Steam gets it.  Switch is a closed system relatively as odds are the upgraded system will use the card still giving another 10~ years of life I'd imagine, but the other issue is even Switch games can gobble up 20-30-40+GB of space on a PC and I have a 1TB drive(I know) and they don't come largely too huge at least with a price you can swallow topping out I think around 4TB for a SSD (I'm done with HDDs.)

 

So I've got games I don't even have installed like Star Wars Squadrons and Doom(2016) even FF13 since it's a monster itself.

 

I'm curious how you all feel about buying on Switch vs Steam.  Would you rather have one, the other, both, both if there's a crazy steam sale?  I decided I'd rather have COTTON reboot on Switch and got it back and finally cracked open my limited edition Cotton Fantasy too, they're great games but are on Steam too.  I've been eyeing stuff like Captain Tsubasa, Super Lucky's Tale, especially Trials of Mana for awhile but never pull the trigger.

 

Which motivates you more if you're someone to pretty evenly will or largely will use the Switch as a console, not so much a handheld?

[roots.genoa]

I almost always pick Switch because handheld (I don't have a Steam Deck and don't plan to get one for now).

On Steam I mostly play games that are not available on Switch anyway, but also that play better with a mouse (like strategy games). Or else I would get them on my Series S now.

 

The space is not a big problem once you get a big SD card. And you don't really need to keep all your games installed, stop lying to yourself. 😉

[Flojomojo]

I generally prefer the Switch version since the Lite is so small and portable and I like the controls. I've double-dipped a few times for games I like just to have them, though. Steam sales usually have better discounts. I've bought Skyrim too many times, including the new DRM-free version on GOG. 

[Steven Pendleton]

As long as your ISP doesn't limit your monthly bandwidth, always PC, preferably GOG. The existence of the Steam Deck also makes things interesting, but it apparently has some problems with some games to the point where the Switch runs those games better. It's also very expensive at nearly double the cost of the Switch. I kind of want one, but it's way too expensive to justify buying when I have a Switch and like half of my Steam library is either untested on the Steam Deck or doesn't work on it at all.

 

Switch has one major advantage over Steam and GOG, though; Steam and GOG are region locked and Switch isn't, so sometimes I have no choice but to buy things on consoles even if I don't want to. There are also weird, rare occasions in which the console versions of games are better than the PC versions, like with some of the PC -> console visual novel ports done by Prototype.

[Tanooki]

Mine limits it at 1TB a month, can't say I've come over 1/2 that except a few times, usually 1/3.  The huge ones, probably after a total re-install/failure of a computer or some other random one off nonsense that caused it, but I do have a provider with a stupid cap, so yeah I'd rather install and be done, than have a surprise.

 

Steam deck I think is ridiculous, would never buy something like that as I'd have no real use for the device especially to get that value at that price point.  I prefer GoG, Steam I go with for tightass console third party developers who are DRM trolls who only will support Steam (and others like them) with the forced setup, but if it's on GoG even if it costs a few bucks more there first.  If I needed a high powered handheld I'd step into an AYN Odin Pro or that level of quality, that would more than suit me.  But an actual computer level of power to game, I'll stick to a computer as it's not a one trick gaming pony.

 

That's why I kind of asked how people felt about the Switch vs Steam, I didn't even consider the deck in the equation at all.  I was thinking of quality of the release, price of the release, storage obviously too, long term use/value since Switch has a sooner than later expiration date while I've got decades old PC games that run great.

 

 

I had originally the Castlevania Collection and bailed on it for the PC one, more convenient, and cheaper, and that thought stopped me from the cowabunga collection too on Switch and shredders revenge as well.  There are a number of switch games I've bailed on or didn't buy in the first place due to the PC version having everything up on it outside of portability which I really don't need.

[MaliciousCarp]

I am currently looking to get a gaming pc, (My first in about 20 years), but that is because there are some games in the near future that either won't be on switch or will be scaled back on that platform (Monster Hunter 6 mainly). The switch is an amazing and fun console, but is underpowered. I don't see it as either/or, I see it as why not both?

 

Edit: not sure what is going on with the android editor on these forums... had to remove a ton of whitespace again. strange.

Edited Monday at 02:25 PM by MaliciousCarp

[MaliciousCarp]

For buying games on one platform or another, retro style and jrpgs I buy on switch.  Modern games on ps4 (soon to be steam for me) 

[Tanooki]

I went for a long time (10~) years without a more serious gaming computer/graphics card either going as far as a just a couple solidly decent but limited due to form laptops.  THis is one here now too, but it's a clevo/sager setup, unique, basically every part pops out and isn't choked for space so it's a gaming desktop in a laptop form factor so even now 8 years in I can run ps4pro level stuff at 1080p better than the consoles, but this new generation, not so much.  I have no interest in sony/ms consoles, they're walled limited computers, rather put that chunk of change wasted on that nonsense to a real computer this go around, not a laptop again, so even when a Switch2/Pro(whatever) pops up that can handle far more stuff, it still will be uniquely and well designed behind.  Depending on the title, if it's light like a COTTON game or arcade this or that, it's great, mobile conversions, custom baked stuff, but true console games I'll do on that future PC.

 

The overlap was the concern where to go, thinking both short and long game, convenience vs physicality, and so on...many factors.

[Steven Pendleton]

PC's still going to be relevant, and, more importantly, functional, for the indefinite future. Switch will be retired in only a few years, and there is no guarantee that the Switch hardware will even survive for the next 20~30 years or so. In 30 years or so, however, just build a new PC and there you go. All of your games are still there. As to whether or not they will still be playable on the operating systems that will exist in 30 years or not, nobody knows, but just like how we have DOSBox now, someone in 30 years will probably have made an emulator for today's games.

 

Of course, what we now call modern games are kind of super terrible DLC infested half-completed garbage, so maybe not much of importance will be lost.

[Gamemoose]

I lean toward Switch these days due to it being so portable, the controls feel good to me and I have more of a chance to PLAY than on PC or other consoles.  And like others I too have double-dipped with some titles like Skyrim, Portal/Portal 2, Castle Crashers (triple in this case-X360, which I don't have anymore, PC and now Switch) and Quake.  If and when I do play on PC it's usually with my kids but with their latest tastes in Roblox, it hasn't been often save for when my Lite is being used by one of my twins.  I don't have room in the house to have other consoles hooked up so playing Switch is a lot more convenient than even grabbing my laptop.

 

So far the PC stuff I've played on it works pretty dang well.  Skyrim thus far hasn't hiccuped once, Portal is smooth as butter (though the button layout is different from the PC-if I play Portal on the PC I get confused when I switch to the, um, Switch) and Castle Crashers in multiplayer is a more clean experience thanks to the wireless controllers I have for the Switch.  One of my step sons got "The Outer Worlds" for Christmas and he says it plays well.  The icing on the cake for me is that I can play Nintendo games on it, so overall it's been a win.

 

 

[MrBeefy]

On 1/22/2023 at 9:55 AM, Tanooki said:

I know I've said it before about it in the primary thread, but I find it hard at times to justify buying a game on Switch when Steam gets it.  Switch is a closed system relatively as odds are the upgraded system will use the card still giving another 10~ years of life I'd imagine, but the other issue is even Switch games can gobble up 20-30-40+GB of space on a PC and I have a 1TB drive(I know) and they don't come largely too huge at least with a price you can swallow topping out I think around 4TB for a SSD (I'm done with HDDs.)

 

So I've got games I don't even have installed like Star Wars Squadrons and Doom(2016) even FF13 since it's a monster itself.

 

I'm curious how you all feel about buying on Switch vs Steam.  Would you rather have one, the other, both, both if there's a crazy steam sale?  I decided I'd rather have COTTON reboot on Switch and got it back and finally cracked open my limited edition Cotton Fantasy too, they're great games but are on Steam too.  I've been eyeing stuff like Captain Tsubasa, Super Lucky's Tale, especially Trials of Mana for awhile but never pull the trigger.

 

Which motivates you more if you're someone to pretty evenly will or largely will use the Switch as a console, not so much a handheld?

I buy more on Switch. Just because I do not get dedicated PC time due to parenting type stuff. So while I like playing my Switch on TV, I actually play more on handheld.

[Tanooki]

27 minutes ago, MrBeefy said:

I buy more on Switch. Just because I do not get dedicated PC time due to parenting type stuff. So while I like playing my Switch on TV, I actually play more on handheld.

I totally get that.  I work from home and can be on the PC quite a bit at later parts of the day for that level of freedom, earlier is fine to stream video while I work to keep me from nodding off so the computer is largely just left on.  Handheld mode saves so much, easier to just pick up and park it if needed.

[MrBeefy]

15 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

I totally get that.  I work from home and can be on the PC quite a bit at later parts of the day for that level of freedom, earlier is fine to stream video while I work to keep me from nodding off so the computer is largely just left on.  Handheld mode saves so much, easier to just pick up and park it if needed.

Yeah. If I had a steam deck it might be slightly different. But the only game on Steam I want to routinely play but can't on Switch is FirePro World. So not really worth the Steam Deck purchase for me.