Cost per hour of gaming at 26.32p per kWh (UK average), the live standard variable rate since 1 October 2026.
The short answer
Notebookcheck measured the Steam Deck OLED at about 24 watts in a demanding game. ChargerLab measured the Switch 2 at about 18 watts docked to a TV. In the same Notebookcheck comparison, the Switch 2's chip ran at only about 8.6 watts in handheld mode, so it's the more frugal of the two when played in your hands.
| Switch 2 | Steam Deck OLED | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical power while gaming | about 18 W docked | about 24 W |
| Per hour | 0.5p | 0.6p |
| Per month (3 hrs/day) | 43p | 58p |
| Per year (3 hrs/day) | £5.19 | £6.92 |
Docked play
Both can connect to a TV. Once a TV is involved, it uses far more power than either handheld: a typical TV adds about 2.6p an hour. If you mainly play on the TV, the console you choose barely changes the bill.
Handheld play
In your hands, each one is just running from its battery and recharging. The Steam Deck OLED's 50 Wh battery costs about 1.4p to fill from empty, including charging losses. The Switch 2's battery is smaller, so a full charge costs even less.
The verdict
The Switch 2 is slightly cheaper to run, but the difference is around £1.73 a year at 3 hours a day. That's not a reason to choose one over the other. Both cost a small fraction of a PS5 or gaming PC.
More detail: Steam Deck and ROG Ally costs and Switch 2 costs.
Sources: Notebookcheck, ChargerLab, Octopus Energy tariff data.