Hades 2 was comfortably the biggest reason that I wanted to get my hands on a Steam Deck OLED.
The indie game, which is currently available via PC early access, is easily one of the most anticipated upcoming games right now, and for good reason. Its predecessor offered a wonderful reinterpretation of Greek mythology, with a moreish ‘one more run’ gameplay loop and an enthralling world filled to the brim with memorable figures.
So far, Hades 2 has delivered by introducing the magical new protagonist Melinoë and shifting towards a more complex, but more rewarding, combat experience. As the first Hades was such a massive hit on the original Nintendo Switch (the platform where I and many others first experienced it) when I heard that its sequel would be coming to PC I was desperate to play it on the go with Valve’s PC handheld.
Up until today, I have been completely satisfied with the experience. The Steam Deck OLED is a good fit for the game and I’ve spent many a happy hour grinding through the initial batch of dungeons and experimenting with different abilities.
Having just gone hands-on with the game on Nintendo Switch 2 at the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience in London recently, however, I’m starting to think that Nintendo’s next handheld hybrid is going to be the ultimate way to play.
Pick up and go
First and foremost, the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game wins out overall on the portability front. When I stepped up to the demo station and took the console into my hands, I was struck by how sleek it is. It’s impressively thin, with no bulbous protruding grips to worry about getting caught on anything if you want to quickly shove it into your bag after a cheeky play session on the train – something that I frequently love to do with roguelike games like Hades 2.
As much as I like the Steam Deck OLED, there’s no getting around the fact that it’s quite fatiguing in the hands – at least for me. The Nintendo Switch 2 weighs roughly 0.23lbs / 106g less than the Steam Deck OLED, which might not sound like much but does make the act of physically playing a bit more comfortable.
The more conventional button layout of the Nintendo Switch 2 is just a lot better if I’m being honest, too. The symmetrical stick design of the Steam Deck OLED is fine enough, but the choice to position the main face buttons so close to the right-hand edge of the handheld that they look and feel like they’re almost about to slip off is just plain weird.
In a game like Hades 2, where you’re constantly going to be mashing buttons to dodge or trigger your attacks and abilities, I can’t overstate how ergonomically superior the positioning of the Nintendo Switch 2 buttons is.
On the subject of the buttons, it was definitely easier to spam attacks while playing on the Nintendo Switch 2. While the Steam Deck OLED has quite spongy buttons with a fair amount of travel which might suit your personal preference, the more low-profile, clickier Joy-Con 2 buttons are more practical and make Hades 2 seem more responsive – especially in the moments where the action heats up and there are lots of enemies on screen.
Sore eyes
At the event, I was only able to play Hades 2 in handheld mode, which was a little disappointing as I was keen to see it blown up on a big screen for the first time, though it did give me plenty of time to evaluate the Nintendo Switch 2’s 1080p display. The Nintendo Switch 2 might be smaller than the Steam Deck OLED, but it still boasts a larger screen at 7.9 inches compared to the OLED’s 7.4 inches.
Then there’s the fact that the Steam Deck has a native resolution of just 1280×800 – which is not too far off 720p. The Nintendo Switch 2, on the other hand, is a Full HD 1920×1080. Both of these factors really helped the smooth hand-drawn look of Hades 2 shine and meant that it was significantly easier to appreciate the many details in its charming character designs and lush environments.
Before I tried the Nintendo Switch 2, I was worried about the vibrancy of the display. After all, it is an LCD panel – which traditionally offers worse contrast and less rich colors than the OLED panels found on the latest Steam Deck or the Nintendo Switch OLED.
Luckily, my concerns were unwarranted as the Nintendo Switch 2’s screen is bright and seriously punchy. It’s hard to say for sure without a side-by-side comparison (and without knowing exactly what brightness setting was used for the demo) but it does appear comparatively vivid thanks to Switch 2’s enhanced brightness and HDR support.
There are a lot of things that I want to dig deeper into with the Nintendo Switch 2, like the speakers, for example, which were nearly impossible to hear in the loud event setting. Still, I walked away from the Hades 2 booth seriously excited; I think the Nintendo Switch 2 has a real shot at becoming the definitive way to play it. Clearly, Nintendo thinks so too, as Hades 2 is set to launch for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 as a timed console exclusive later this year.
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dash.wood@futurenet.com (Dashiell Wood)
