Nvidia could be working on a new gaming device to rival the Steam Deck

[emorphy]

Bottom line: It's now or never for Nvidia to re-enter the handheld gaming market if it wants to catch up with AMD and compete with the Intel alternatives expected later this year. The company will be providing the silicon for the Switch 2, which many suggest should outperform the Steam Deck.

Nvidia may be having a serious case of FOMO. The company has been watching AMD APUs clean up in the somewhat new segment of PC-based gaming handhelds, and now that Intel alternatives are coming out later in 2024, Team Green wants in. That is what a source has told YouTube channel Moore's Law is Dead. Reportedly, Nvidia is working on a premium handheld gaming device to rival the Steam Deck and other similar devices.

"Nvidia is getting serious about making more handheld gaming devices with their graphics IP in them," Moore's Law said. "I have been told directly that they are looking into working with somebody on a premium handheld gaming device." Who that partner could be is still unclear, but Moore's Law speculates it could be Intel.

Because Nvidia doesn't have a license to manufacture x86 CPUs, it would need a partner to provide the processor. A tie-up with Intel, however, would mean the CPU and GPU would be discrete and require a proper heatsink similar to those found in the best gaming laptops, PCGamesN points out. However it shakes out, an Nvidia handheld is many years away, Moore's Law said.

This wouldn't be the first time Nvidia tries to crack the gaming handheld market. Years ago, it launched the Nvidia Shield, a portable gaming device that also supported streaming. It never quite landed because of stiff competition and eventually became a 4K HDR streaming device that is priced out of many consumers' wallets.

Meanwhile, the market waits for a Switch 2 to come out. Moore's Law says that Nvidia is definitely co-developing the console's SoC with Nintendo, having beaten AMD for the bid by a hair, according to another source.

It is hard to say when it will hit shelves as Nintendo is waiting to sell through its remaining Switch stock, the source said. But the Switch 2 silicon has been done since 2022. "We presented several options to Nintendo including one that used Lovelace and they selected a cost-optimized version of Orin," Moore's Law quoted the source as saying. Assuming Nintendo doesn't "cheap out" on the specs, the Switch 2 is expected to outperform the Steam Deck.

When the original Switch first came to market, the competition was slim. The PlayStation had given up on mobile gaming and at that time there was no burgeoning Windows handheld industry. Mobile gaming on a smartphone was in its infancy, too.

In that sense, the competition will be far more intense for the Switch 2 even if Nintendo certainly has the upperhand. There are several controller options for playing on a phone and the Steam Deck is doing relatively well. Plus, more competitors should be joining the ranks, including Sony's PlayStation Portal handheld that lets you stream your PS5 games via Wi-Fi.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/102103-nvidia-reportedly-working-premium-handheld-gaming-device.html

 

[GodisanAtheist]

A handheld gaming device launching in 2025 by a dedicated console manufacturer might be faster than a handheld gaming device made as a side project by a PC Gaming storefront in 2022.

I sure as hell hope so.

 

[yRaz]

A handheld gaming device launching in 2025 by a dedicated console manufacturer might be faster than a handheld gaming device made as a side project by a PC Gaming storefront in 2022.

I sure as hell hope so.

AMD makes all the chips for the Xbox and Playstation. I really don't understand what you're trying to say

 

[ThrakazogZ]

I think it's more likely to be a rival to the Playstation Portal. Instead of being a self contained gaming unit, it will simply connect to Nvidia's cloud gaming service, GeForce NOW. Nvidia won't pass up on collecting subscription money from people to fatten their bottom line.

 

[AndreV]

I think it's more likely to be a rival to the Playstation Portal. Instead of being a self contained gaming unit, it will simply connect to Nvidia's cloud gaming service, GeForce NOW. Nvidia won't pass up on collecting subscription money from people to fatten their bottom line.

If it cost 50$ at most it would worth considering, but anything higher than that is guaranteed DoA. Lenovo has recently learned that, and soon Sony as well with their Portal.

 

[WhiteLeaff]

You guys, from supposedly serious websites, are paying excessive attention to this guy. It's already getting weird

 

[Furriest]

There is a point where device specs will not matter anymore [from a relative standpoint] and it feels closer than ever.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

AMD makes all the chips for the Xbox and Playstation. I really don't understand what you're trying to say

I'm trying to say it's weird to see "Switch 2 might be faster than the Deck" repeated often like it's a thing.

It should be faster than The Deck based on its pedigree and technological progress.

 

[yRaz]

I'm trying to say it's weird to see "Switch 2 might be faster than the Deck" repeated often like it's a thing.

It should be faster than The Deck based on its pedigree and technological progress.

Oh, that's a pretty good point. I was aware that the switch 2 uses Tegra chips and should have known that. My bad.

 

[NumberNine]

If a gaming handheld is running windows, it already has access to the largest library of games for any platform on the planet. Even if it runs linux, it's still ahead of what Nintendo has available.

 

[Atmajaya2020]

There are many handhelds that attract my attention, but for me, the handhelds are still too big...
if only the size was the size of a smartphone or iPad mini it would be very interesting to have..

 

[dangh]

More competition is better. Still, steam deck is excellent device and not planning making a switch before sd2.

 

[Watzupken]

Actually Nvidia has got a good chance of making it if they choose to come up with their own handheld console. When it comes to handheld, low power is the game, and with ARM and a decent iGPU solution to match AMD/Intel's graphic solution, they can surely do it. The only problem is whether Nvidia will want to go into low margin console business here. I don't think AMD is making tonnes of money selling custom chips for consoles for sure.

 

[Disiw]

AMD makes all the chips for the Xbox and Playstation. I really don't understand what you're trying to say

And Nvidia is used in Switch, soon to be the best selling console of all time and will be used in Switch 2 as well which will be out late this year or next.

I bet Nvidia makes more money on Switch than AMD makes on PS5 and XSX.

However the true winners are Sony and Microsoft when talking consoles. Mostly Sony haha.

 

[Bobbydpue]

"Nvidia could be working on a new gaming device to rival the Steam Deck" But why? Does Nvidia really care about gaming? Is Nvidia going to charge 4090 money for it?

 

[Bobbydpue]

Oh, that's a pretty good point. I was aware that the switch 2 uses Tegra chips and should have known that. My bad.

You are talking as if the Switch 2 was officially launched with announced specs. It's all speculation right now.

 

[Disiw]

"Nvidia could be working on a new gaming device to rival the Steam Deck" But why? Does Nvidia really care about gaming? Is Nvidia going to charge 4090 money for it?

Considering they sit at ~80% PC dGPU marketshare, without even trying, I'd say yes.

Nvidia will be used in Switch 2 too. DLSS is going to be major for Switch 2.


AMD have a big oppotunity to re-gain dGPU marketshare, with Nvidia's AI focus, however it seems that AMD want to try and compete in AI as well and down-prioritize dGPU market. Radeon 8000 series will be mid-end at best with zero high-end products.

If AMD was interrested in this market, they would hook in now and release something truly high-end. Yet they rather want to settle with mid-end stuff.