In the days leading up to the Switch 2 release, I couldn’t shake a lingering sadness about my Steam Deck. It used to feel like something I was proud of—something I loved showing off and handing to friends and family—but lately it had started gathering dust. I was heading into the Switch 2 phase, and I didn’t think I needed two handheld systems in my life. So certain was I that the Deck was losing its relevance, I even looked into how much money I could make by putting it up for sale. Goodbye, my trusty heavy companion—you truly served me well.
Then June came, and, just as expected, I was instantly hooked on the Switch 2. I played Mario Kart World every day, evening after evening, and again through the weekends. Between those sessions I squeezed in Fast Fusion, a bit of Welcome Tour, and even Cyberpunk 2077. At home, the Switch 2 quickly became the most-used console, with my son choosing long Fortnite play sessions on it rather than the Xbox (and if you haven’t seen Fortnite on Switch 2 yet, it’s a huge improvement over the original Switch model). My daughter, only four years old and not quite ready for games, still caught the excitement—she wanted to sit for a photo with the Switch 2, not only the device itself but also the cardboard box it arrived in!
This kind of obsession happens often, yet with the Switch 2 I genuinely felt a fresh wave of wonder and energy—the same feeling you get when you realize you’re holding something genuinely special. Usually, getting a new thing you admire makes it harder to ignore. I often catch myself doing this with other consoles too (the PS5, for instance): I might go without using it for a while, then a new game shows up for it (Astro Bot was my pick last year). Before I know it, I’ve finished that title and I’m off again—jumping into Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut and digging into whatever else PS Plus has to offer.
The Switch 2 didn’t just bring that feeling back for me; it actually shifted how I play. Spending time with the launch lineup reset my routine, and I found myself back in handheld mode. To be honest, I’ve never been especially drawn to handhelds. I’ve still loved plenty of handheld games—Ridge Racer(s) on PSP and MotorStorm RC on Vita, for example—but when I had the choice, I preferred keeping the console under the TV, and I never felt comfortable playing “out in the open.” Still, the Switch 2 trend—sorry, to the eBay sellers—sparked a renewed interest in the Steam Deck.
Instead of kicking back on the sofa with the Switch 2 in my hands, I started reaching for the Deck. Thirty minutes of Vampire Survivors? Absolutely. Twenty minutes digging into late-game in Tunic? Sure. Art of Rally before Escape to the Country, letting my brain drift toward a simpler life—there’s room for that. The opening pitch alone has you watching people talk about wanting to relocate somewhere with more space for their dogs, all with a budget of £800k, even though they work in media. In fact, I’ve used my Steam Deck more over the past week than I can remember since it launched.
Cheers, Switch 2. Now I’m back browsing Steam sales, chasing discounts I’ll probably never end up playing, and also tinkering with emulators—while trying to make room for Mario Kart World. I have no idea how I’m going to manage once Donkey Kong Bananza lands in a few weeks.