Switch 2 Rivals Handheld PCs Gaming Boom

Asus ROG Ally Satisfies All My Gaming Needs

As someone who grew up with handheld gaming—transitioning from Game Boy to Nintendo DS to PlayStation Portable—I've always preferred portable gaming. There's something uniquely comforting about curling up in bed with a handheld console. I was even one of the few dedicated PlayStation Vita enthusiasts, using it daily during my college commute.

While the original Nintendo Switch impressed me at launch in 2017, I found myself only using it for exclusives. My gaming brain stubbornly categorized certain titles as "handheld-only," making me reluctant to play them elsewhere. However, whenever these same games appeared free on Epic Games Store, Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, or Humble Choice, I couldn't justify repurchasing them—especially given Nintendo's notorious reluctance to offer deep discounts.

The Asus ROG Ally changed everything in 2023. This Windows 11-powered handheld PC gave me access to my entire existing library across Steam, Game Pass, and Epic Games—finally letting me enjoy those "handheld-only" games without rebuying them. Thanks to the Ally, I've discovered classics like Celeste, Little Nightmares II, and Resident Evil Remake—games I'd likely never have played if I'd needed to repurchase them on Switch.

The Switch 2 Faces Stiff Competition

The Switch 2's $449 starting price positions it dangerously close to current-gen consoles, with the digital PS5 technically launching cheaper at $399. More importantly, Nintendo's innovative hybrid concept now faces serious competition from devices like Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion Go, MSI Claw—with rumors of an Xbox handheld potentially joining the fray.

Modern handheld PCs boast powerful hardware capable of running both indies and AAA titles while accessing your existing game libraries. With AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme and similar chips constantly improving, the Switch 2 risks being outpaced technologically.

For current handheld PC owners, the Switch 2's value proposition shrinks to just Nintendo exclusives—an expensive proposition when considering $70-$80 launch prices for games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. While Nintendo's first-party offerings remain exceptional, the math simply doesn't work for players already invested in handheld PCs.

The unfortunate reality for Nintendo is that devices like my Asus ROG Ally now fulfill everything I once needed from a Switch—with access to multiple storefronts and my existing game library. Unless you're solely focused on Nintendo exclusives, the Switch 2 struggles to justify its premium pricing in today's competitive handheld market.