Nintendo Switch Turned Into a Steam Deck by Professional Modder: Linux Working

Urian B., Tech Times 05 February 2023, 11:02 pm

SpikeHD made it possible to run a Nintendo Switch as a Steam Deck. It's as surprising as it is amazing. We can all agree that the Nintendo Switch has plenty of amazing games. But its hardware is not equipped with quite the same power as the Steam Deck.

The Process of Running a Steam Deck on Your Nintendo Switch

But now, with it running as a Steam Deck, we're able to get way more out of the console than before. However, there are a few catches. For starters, you'll have to have a spare Steam Deck. And SpikeHD, as seen on YouTube, has listed out the process in his video, but it's a complicated one.

Users are also going to need to solder a few extra things. So it's probably best not to try this at home if you're not tech-savvy. Users can play games that require more power than the Nintendo Switch can handle from the gains. And the further bonuses are that you'll get better resolution and possibly access cloud streaming services.

Unlocking the Potential: Modder Enables Nintendo Switch to Run Steam Games

According to the story by Giz China, the modder, who prefers to remain anonymous aside from the name SpikeHD, managed to pull up the big picture UI on his Nintendo Switch, enabling the console to be used as a Steam platform.

This means that users can now access thousands of Steam games using a single handheld device whose development was initially intended for games only. The modder ran a few Steam games on the Nintendo Switch at an incredible 10-20 frames per second, a quite impressive speed considering the device's hardware capabilities.

The Advantages of an All-In-One Gaming Experience with the Nintendo Switch

According to the modder, the Switch offers the same quality as other stand-alone gaming systems, such as the Sony PlayStation, but in a more convenient size factor. The modder also stated that, even with the current state of the mod, he didn't experience any major crashes or lags during his playthroughs.

It is expected that these minor issues will be resolved as the modding community keeps pushing forward and digging deeper into the potential of the Nintendo Switch. Overall, what this modder achieved demonstrates how far existing technology can go when it comes to gaming.

With the power of the Nintendo Switch now empowering custom gaming PCs, many curious users are looking to explore the console's unique gaming possibilities. After all, it is an all-in-one solution for an on-the-go gaming experience.

Challenge of Converting the Switch to a Steam Deck: Force-Installing Steam on an Arm-Based CPU

The modder SpikeHD pushed the boundaries of what the Nintendo Switch can do, converting the console into a full-blown Steam gaming machine, as seen in an article by PC Gamer. SpikeHD faced many technical challenges while converting the Nintendo Switch into a Steam Deck.

The Switch uses an Nvidia Tegra processor, which is an Arm-based CPU. Steam is designed for computers with x86 processors, like the ones from AMD or Intel, making it difficult to install on the Switch. With a lot of technical know-how and sheer passion, however, SpikeHD managed to force-install Steam on the console.