Nintendo Switch with Game Pass Might Startle Steam Deck

Nintendo Switch might acquire XBOX’s Game Pass in the near future!

Last week, Microsoft dropped a bombshell announcement that could shake up the gaming industry as we know it. They’ve signed a deal with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to the Nintendo Switch for the next decade – assuming that the Activision Blizzard acquisition goes through.

This deal could be a game-changer, as Call of Duty hasn’t appeared on a Nintendo console since the Wii U’s early days. But there’s much more at stake here than just Call of Duty.

Game Pass might come to Nintendo Switch

It’s no secret that Microsoft wants Xbox Game Pass on every device it can possibly get it on. And with recent acquisitions, the service is looking like an even better deal for gamers. Right now, you can access Game Pass on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, mobile devices, and Samsung smart TVs. But there are rumors flying that Microsoft wants to bring the service to its competitors, and the Nintendo Switch is the top contender. If this were to happen, the Steam Deck would have some serious competition on its hands.

Valve’s latest offering, the Steam Deck, is often touted as the Nintendo Switch killer. And while it’s true that both consoles share some similarities, they’re actually targeting very different audiences.

Nintendo has long been known for its family-friendly games and exclusive franchises like Pokemon, Zelda, Mario, Super Smash Bros, and Animal Crossing. You can only play these titles on a Nintendo console, making them a major draw for gamers of all ages. The Steam Deck, on the other hand, aims squarely at PC users – particularly those who want to enter the PC gaming market without shelling out a ton of cash.

It can play almost every Steam game in handheld mode and offers access to alternative storefronts like the Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, and the EA app.

Here’s why it can happen

But what if Nintendo could compete with the Steam Deck by partnering with Microsoft to bring Xbox Game Pass to the Switch? Suddenly, the Switch would have access to a library of games more similar to what you’d find on Xbox or PlayStation consoles. Games like Halo Infinite, Gears of War, Fallout, Skyrim, and Minecraft would be available via Game Pass – titles that have garnered massive fan bases.

Adding these games to the Switch via Game Pass would give players a compelling reason to pick up Nintendo’s console, especially if they’ve been eyeing the Steam Deck.

Not only would the addition of Game Pass give the Switch a library more in line with its competition, but it would also allow players to explore Nintendo’s extensive catalog of exclusive games. And all of this on one of the best-selling consoles of all time. It would make the decision between the Switch and the Steam Deck even more complex, and would likely lead to an influx of Game Pass subscribers in a previously untapped market.

Of course, as of now, Game Pass is not coming to the Nintendo Switch. There’s been no official word from Microsoft about it, and the rumors about Switch Pro are probably just a fuss — which would have been, in my opinion, a good counterpart against the Deck. At least Nintendo is doing its best to give fans a productive year ahead.

But given Microsoft’s desire to get Game Pass on as many devices as possible, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that we’ll see it on the Switch someday. And Valve has even suggested that Game Pass could come to the Steam Deck – which would take this handheld competition to a whole new level.