Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Huawei thinks its Mate 20 X is better than the Nintendo Switch

By
Huawei

Nintendo dominated the portable gaming market for many, many years. Time and time again, companies have tried to come out with products that rival Nintendo’s handheld devices. While some competing products have succeeded (Sony PSP, for instance), none have been able to knock Nintendo off its throne. Chinese telecommunications company Huawei thinks it has a Nintendo Switch kingslayer in the Huawei Mate 20 X, a gaming phone that was revealed during a Huawei event.

During the surprise reveal, Huawei’s president made a rather bold proclamation, calling the Mate 20 X “the best portable gaming machine.” He proceeded to show the Mate 20 X and the Switch side by side to explain. You can watch the reveal event here (go to the 1 hour, 53 minute, 20 second mark to see and hear the comparison).

Recommended Videos

The Mate 20 X has a 7.2 inch OLED screen with 1080p resolution. That is better than the 6.2-inch 720p LCD screen the Switch boasts. The phone also has 6.67 hours of battery life. Huawei claimed the Switch only had 3.03 hours of battery life, which is mostly true for intensive games, but the Switch can get in the five-to-six-hour range when playing less elaborate games. The Mate 20 X also has an attachable gamepad (sold separately) that has a thumbstick and D-pad but no face buttons.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Based on the specs listed on Huawei’s site, the Mate 20 X is indeed more powerful than the average smartphone. Additionally, from a surface-level comparison, it has better specs than the Switch.

There are obvious downsides to the Mate 20 X though. First, its astronomical cost. It will go for just north of $1,000, which means it’s more than 300 percent more expensive than the $300 Switch. Of course, you also have to pay your monthly bill for text, calls, and data usage with the Mate 20 X.

Smartphones are inherently more expensive than dedicated gaming devices like the Switch. That’s a given, really. The real question here is the software. The Mate 20 X is an Android device, which means Android gaming. While there is no denying mobile games have evolved over the years to feature some truly great experiences, the potential library simply doesn’t compare to the first- and third-party options available on Switch.

Huawei’s strong statement about having the “best portable gaming machine” is naturally a marketing tactic, but the Switch should be safe here. Still, it will be interesting to see how the Mate 20 X performs. Smartphones specifically tailored toward gamers could become an actual threat down the line, provided that software support improves and prices drop.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Steven Petite
Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
Every rumored video game console: Nintendo Switch 2, PS5 Pro and more
A PS5 sits on a table.

History would tell you that 2024 isn't a year where you should expect a lot of new game consoles. We're smack dab in the middle of a console generation and we've already seen the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series S get upgrades during it. A wave of brand new consoles is likely four years away if the precedent set by previous generations holds up.

And yet, we're swimming in hardware rumors these days. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all have rumored systems in the works. On top of that, we're on the verge of an early second generation for portable PCs like the Steam Deck. Companies like Lenovo and Asus are also plotting follow-ups to their own devices. It's a lot to keep track of, with scattered reports sharing rumors about the status of each. To help you stay on top of the news, we've rounded up every major gaming device that's currently in the works. You can expect to see some -- if not all -- of these in the next year.
Nintendo Switch 2

Read more
World of Goo 2 might just be the Nintendo Switch’s next must-own co-op game
A built structure in World of Goo 2.

When I sat down to demo World of Goo 2 at this year’s GDC, I noted to the developers on hand how surprising it was to see a sequel after so long. “It’s been, what? Ten years?” I said. I was very far off the mark: They noted that the original World of Goo launched in 2008. After playing a few levels (and having an existential crisis over time’s rapid passing), I’d find myself wondering how such an obvious slam dunk didn’t come sooner.

Like its predecessor, World of Goo 2 is a physics-based puzzle game where players craft structures from little, gooey critters. It presents a series of engineering challenges, as poorly built structures will topple under the weight of all those jiggly little pals. Rather than reinventing that concept entirely, World of Goo 2 adds some wild new ideas onto that stable structure that opens up its puzzle potential. The result is a chaotic co-op game that’s a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch.

Read more
How to transfer data from Nintendo Switch to Switch OLED
Pokémon on Nintendo Switch OLED.

If you've picked up a new Nintendo Switch OLED, you already know that it's a substantial upgrade from the previous iterations of the console. What you may not know, however, is how to transfer your data from your old Switch to your new Switch OLED.

Unfortunately, the transfer process isn't as straightforward as you might expect, so it can be confusing to get things going. However, we've got all the details on how to migrate your user data from one Switch to another, even if you don't have access to your previous system and best Switch games. Here's how to transfer your data from your Switch to the Switch OLED.
How to transfer data from Switch to Switch OLED
Step 1

Read more