Switch 2 Has to Face a Problem the Original Didn’t: Handheld Gaming PCs

The Nintendo Switch 2 is coming out incredibly soon, and while we know a lot about it, its steep $449.99 price tag and $79.99 games make me less likely to invest than expected. After all, I’ve barely used my Nintendo Switch since getting an Asus ROG Ally, and my problems with the original console are only exacerbated in its successor, especially in a post-handheld gaming PCs world.

Asus ROG Ally Is All I Need

I’ve been a handheld gamer since childhood, having jumped between the Game Boy, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. It's still my favorite way to play games, as there’s nothing cozier than snuggling beneath a layer of blankets and playing from the comfort of my bed. I was even among the painfully few PlayStation Vita believers, and played it during my college train commute every day.

The Nintendo Switch blew my mind in 2017, yet even though I bought mine close to launch, I only used it for exclusives. Playing on PC isn’t comfortable, so when a game seemed mechanically or graphically suited for handheld, I wanted it on the Switch. Those games entered a mental drawer in my head labeled “Reserved for handheld,” and it’s as if my brain was incapable of letting me play them elsewhere.

But if that game was available for free on Epic Games Store, Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, or Humble Choice, I felt guilty repurchasing it on Nintendo Switch. It didn’t help that Switch games are notoriously less likely to receive discounts, and when they do, they’re nowhere near as steep as on other storefronts. This painful cycle of “Why waste money on a game I already own” into “I want to play this on a handheld” yielded the same result every time: I wouldn’t play the game at all.

The launch of the Asus ROG Ally in 2023 broke my curse. It’s a handheld gaming PC that runs on Windows 11, so it has access to Steam, Game Pass, Epic Games, and more. Those games I’d never play on PC due to discomfort could now be enjoyed from the comfort of my own bed.

Nowadays, I play a treasure trove of indie games on my Ally, and I’m still catching up on my backlog. If it wasn’t for the Ally, I would’ve never played Celeste, Little Nightmares II, or Resident Evil Remake. Those are now amongst my favorite games ever, and I didn’t need to spend additional money on any of them, whereas I would have had to repurchase them on Switch. The Ally has become my go-to handheld of choice and has saved me tons of money.

Regardless, I was still excited for the Nintendo Switch 2 announcement, as Nintendo games hold a special place in my heart. But after the Switch 2 Direct, I’m uncertain where the console fits in my life anymore.

When the original Switch launched, it held significance beyond exclusives. The versatility of its design and lower price of entry compared to the competition made it an excellent ecosystem to get into. It was the only viable handheld at the time: It was cheap, had great exclusives, and nothing else like it existed.

The Switch 2 Isn’t Alone Anymore

Priced at $449 (to start), the Nintendo Switch 2 finds itself in competitive waters. That launch price brings it close to the $499 PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. In fact, the PS5 technically launched cheaper with its $399 digital edition. What’s worse, in the last eight years since the Switch’s launch, its design has inspired competition. Steam Deck started the trend in 2022, but manufacturers have released handheld gaming PCs like the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw. There are even rumors that Xbox is working on its own handheld. Switch 2 is no longer one-of-a-kind, and it’s only a great investment if you don’t already own another handheld, and I do.

Handheld gaming PCs have powerful hardware, and are more than capable of playing indies and third-party games. With a far larger library, and the ability to access all of the games you already own, it’s an excellent place for everything. The chipsets powering handheld gaming PCs are only getting better with time, too. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme is waiting to be implemented into something powerful, and it won’t take long before Switch 2 finds itself outmatched by the competition.

Handheld gaming PC owners who want to play new Nintendo exclusives are faced with a steep price of entry and the promise of little use. If a machine like the Asus ROG Ally is more than capable of playing everything from third-parties to indies, then handheld gaming PC owners investing in a Switch 2 are only going to use it for first-party games.

The high price of exclusives makes the Switch 2 an even more painful endeavor, with Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza launching at $79.99 and $69.99 respectively. Considering Nintendo Switch games, especially first-party games, are rarely discounted, it’s hard to get excited about the prospect of having to buy them.

To be fair, there is plenty of value to be found in Nintendo exclusives. The company is responsible for some of the greatest games in history, and for many, there will be plenty of Switch 2 games over the next few years to make the system worth its high price. But for handheld gaming PC owners like me, we just need a little more.

The Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t a worthwhile investment for everyone, especially if you already have a handheld gaming PC. Systems like the Legion Go deliver excellent performance, and an enormous library of indie and third-party games. My Asus ROG Ally does everything I used to need a Switch for, and with a wide range of storefronts available, it’s just a better place to play games.

Claire finds joy in impassioned ramblings about her closeness to video games. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Media Studies from Brooklyn College and seven years of experience in entertainment journalism. Claire is a stalwart defender of games as an artform and spends most days overwhelmed with excitement for its past, present and future. When she isn't writing or playing Dark Souls, she can be found eating chicken fettuccine alfredo and gushing about handheld gaming PCs.