Steam Deck ranking drops amid Nintendo Switch successor announcement

Valve‘s Steam Deck has experienced a significant shift in market performance following Nintendo‘s announcement of their next gaming console. The portable PC gaming device dropped from the third position to 47th place in Steam’s sales rankings, marking an unprecedented change in its typically strong performance.

The Steam Deck, known for its ability to run demanding titles like God of War: Ragnarok, has maintained a consistent presence in Steam’s top 10 rankings since its release. The device carved out its niche by offering PC-level gaming performance in a portable format, especially as the current Nintendo Switch began showing its age with newer releases.

Data from Steam Charts (via Twisted Voxel) reveals this dramatic ranking change occurred between January 14 and January 21, 2025. The timing coincides directly with Nintendo’s announcement of their next console, suggesting a correlation between the two events.

Nintendo’s next console shapes portable gaming landscape

Nintendo’s current Switch model has achieved remarkable success, reaching 143 million units sold globally by August 2024. The company’s next console, scheduled for release in 2025, promises several hardware improvements, including a larger display and enhanced system capabilities.

Among the notable features revealed in Nintendo’s announcement, the new Joy-Con controllers stand out with their magnetic attachment system, replacing the sliding mechanism of the current model. The controllers also appear to incorporate mouse-like functionality, potentially enabling new gaming experiences and control schemes.

Nintendo plans to share additional details about their upcoming console during their next Nintendo Direct presentation, scheduled for April 2. Meanwhile, the gaming industry continues to monitor the shifting dynamics in the portable gaming market as anticipation builds for the new hardware.