RTX Spark Could Destroy Steam Deck, But NVIDIA Says No: Here’s Why
In recent days, NVIDIA presented RTX Spark, its first complete System-on-Chip aimed at the PC market. The platform represents one of the most ambitious projects of recent years and fits into the broader strategy aimed at redefining the personal computer in the age of artificial intelligence.
The presence of a GPU derived from the GeForce RTX architecture and the experience gained by NVIDIA in the gaming sector immediately fueled speculation about possible applications beyond the traditional PC, including potential portable consoles competing with products like Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Ally. However, CEO Jensen Huang's statements seem to downplay this perspective.
Speaking after the keynote at Computex, Huang explained that NVIDIA is not currently focusing its resources on developing handheld devices based on RTX Spark. "If someone wants to do that, we will collaborate with them. But at the moment, we are really focused on a project of enormous scope: reinventing the PC after 40 years," Huang stated.
According to Huang, bringing a new PC chip to market has been an extremely complex process. Indeed, integration into the Windows ecosystem requires full compatibility with applications historically developed for the x86 world, as well as the proper functioning of the anti-cheat systems used by modern video games. A job that, according to him, required three years of collaboration with Microsoft and about two and a half years of development with MediaTek, involving hundreds of technicians and engineers.
The CEO's words highlight how RTX Spark is primarily seen as a platform intended to accelerate the transition towards a new generation of AI PCs. In this light, the realization of a portable console appears to be a secondary project compared to the need to consolidate the new hardware and software ecosystem.
From a technical standpoint, the full version of RTX Spark also seems poorly suited for handheld use. The SoC integrates 20 Arm cores and a GPU that, according to information released by NVIDIA, offers characteristics close to those of a desktop GeForce RTX 5070. Specifications that suggest energy consumption and thermal requirements that are hardly compatible with a portable device, despite the company promising significantly higher autonomy compared to current RTX notebooks.
As hinted by NVIDIA itself, which has postponed details until the coming months in view of the autumn launch, there will be several SKUs of RTX Spark, so solutions with less powerful and energy-hungry CPUs and GPUs that are more suitable for handhelds.