Last week, Microsoft announced that it has signed a deal with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to the Nintendo Switch for the next 10 years. This is all contingent on the Activision Blizzard acquisition getting approved, but it could really shake up the industry. Call of Duty has not been on a Nintendo console since the early days of the Wii U, and this deal could lead to even more Xbox Nintendo deals. While the deal is currently only about Call of Duty, there is a very slight chance that Xbox Game Pass could be next.
It seems like Microsoft wants to get Xbox Game Pass on as many devices as it can, and these acquisitions have made the service look like an even better deal for gamers. Currently, Game Pass is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, mobile devices, and Samsung smart TVs. There have been rumors suggesting that Microsoft also wants to bring the service to its competitors, and the Nintendo Switch seems the likeliest candidate. If Game Pass did launch on the Switch, then the Steam Deck may be facing some steep competition.
Nintendo and Steam Currently Have Very Different Markets
The Steam Deck is Valve's latest attempt at a console, and it seems to be going a lot better than the Steam Machines so far. It is very similar to the Nintendo Switch, but it pulls games from the user's Steam library. It has been designed to play almost every Steam game in handheld mode, and that has made some gamers dub it the Nintendo Switch killer. However, both consoles currently go for very different markets.
Nintendo has built its brand around being the family-friendly place to play. Its impressive catalog of franchises cannot really be played anywhere unless players download an emulator. If players want to play the likes of Pokemon, Legend of Zelda, Mario, Super Smash Bros, and Animal Crossing then they need to own a Nintendo console. While Microsoft and PlayStation have been releasing many of their games for PC, Nintendo is still focused on exclusive content. This exclusive content also has a very distinct style that has attracted gamers of all ages, and it has created a pretty large fan base because of it.
The Steam Deck's main audience is PC users, or those that want to enter the PC market without having to build an expensive machine. The games on offer here are more similar to the games that Xbox and PlayStation offer, and it is very heavily ingrained within the PC ecosystem. It can also download alternative storefronts like the Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, and the EA app. It is a handheld PC after all, and thus offers that type of experience to its users. While the console may be similar to the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck offers very different games from Nintendo's hardware, and that will likely not change in the near future.
Game Pass Could Make Switch a True Steam Deck Competitor
If Nintendo wanted to compete against the Steam Deck, then letting Microsoft put Xbox Game Pass on the console may be the best way to do that. Xbox Game Pass is filled with Xbox games that can also be played on the PC, and thus can also be played on the Steam Deck. Games like Halo Infinite, Gears of War, Fallout, Skyrim, and even Minecraft are offered through the service. Some of these games have garnered massive fan bases over the years, and adding them to Switch via Game Pass may give some players a reason to finally pick up the console.
The addition of Game Pass would give the Nintendo Switch a library similar to its competition, and that could give the Steam Deck a run for its money. Players would not only get access to Game Pass, but they could also explore Nintendo's expansive catalog of exclusive games on one of the best-selling consoles of all time. It would make the decision between the two consoles even harder, and would also likely lead to an influx of Game Pass subscribers in a previously untapped market.
As of now, Game Pass is not coming to Nintendo Switch. There has been no official word from Microsoft about it, and the deal that it signed with Nintendo is for Call of Duty if the ABK acquisition is approved. However, Microsoft does want to get Game Pass on other devices, so there is a chance that it will one day be on Switch. Valve has also suggested Xbox Game Pass could come to the Steam Deck, and that could take this handheld competition to the next level.
