Steam Deck Needs a Poster Child Before It Can Compete With The Nintendo Switch

gamerant.com:

Valve's gaming platform, Steam, is used by gamers across the globe. Since its release in 2003, Steam has become one of the most dominant platform for PC players to buy, download, and play their favorite games. Becoming synonymous with giant sales and endless offerings, the platform is beloved. Though Steam has seen fierce competition from the Epic Games Store, Steam remains the gold standard for so many. However, Valve recently attempted to break into the handheld market with the newly-released Steam Deck, which has been an exciting thought for so many wishing to take their Steam libraries on the go.

In offering something new for PC players, Valve has inadvertently entered the firing line of one of gaming's biggest names. The Nintendo Switch is a hit, and its sales have reached far and wide. It caters to a huge audience, and over its five years on the market, the list of titles available is as impressive as it is eclectic. With the Steam Deck, Valve allows players access to their already purchased games, but without a poster child like Mario for Nintendo, or Aloy for PlayStation, it will always be missing one of the key ingredients of the Switch console's success.

Xbox Cloud Gaming Works on Steam Deck Using Edge

Nintendo have built an entire gaming empire off the back of Mario's stellar offerings. From the 1985 classic Super Mario Bros, to Super Mario Odyssey, one of the finest 3D platformers on Switch, he's been the flag-bearer of all things Nintendo. Of course, Link from The Legend of Zelda, and Samus from the superb Metroid series, among many others, are vital to the success of the company too. With any promotional material always seeming to place Mario at the forefront, it's safe to say that he is the company's greatest