Work on Steam Deck 2 is well underway, but we'll have to wait for it. Valve wants to deliver a proper upgrade

Since the launch of the original Steam Deck in February 2022, the handheld gaming console market has changed beyond recognition. Valve started a wave that was followed by manufacturers like ASUS, Lenovo, and Ayaneo, and their models have now surpassed the original handheld in many respects. The question of a new Steam Deck has been hanging in the air for a long time – and now, at least a partial answer finally comes directly from Valve.

Work is underway, but don’t expect a release date

According to Valve programmer and designer Pierre-Loup Griffais, intensive work is underway on Steam Deck 2. This emerged from an interview with IGN, in which Griffais stated that everything the company is currently preparing – including a new Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame – constitutes a kind of preparation for the future generation of the handheld.

“A lot of what we’re doing right now are learnings that will eventually make their way into Steam Deck 2,” Griffais stated. However, he simultaneously refused to provide any specific release date. Given that the same designer claimed in 2023 that the new Deck was “at least a few years away,” and the original model celebrates four years since its launch this year, the wait is thus prolonged.

Valve doesn’t want to compromise. Hardware is the reason

According to Griffais’s earlier statements, the main obstacle is the lack of a suitable processor. Valve insists that Steam Deck 2 must be a true generational leap, not just a minor improvement.

“We’re not interested in getting to a point where we offer 20, 30, or even 50% more performance with the same battery life. We want something significantly more noticeable,” Griffais stated last year, adding that the current chip offerings on the market are not sufficient for Valve. The current Steam Deck is powered by a custom-made AMD chip with Zen 2 cores and RDNA 2 graphics, while the OLED model uses a slightly redesigned variant of the same chip.

PC Gamer speculates that Valve will likely wait for a suitable chip until AMD transitions its APUs to a more advanced TSMC N3 or potentially N2 manufacturing process. This would realistically push the release of Steam Deck 2 to late 2027 or later – however, this is only an estimate that Valve has not confirmed.

What improvements can we expect?

One area where the original Steam Deck has noticeable shortcomings is battery life. So, while Valve rejects a mere 50% performance increase, improvements in this area could be most evident in the new generation.

Until then, however, Steam Deck fans will have to settle for the current generation, or opt for competing handhelds with Windows or SteamOS – and hope that Valve will eventually turn its claim for a “truly next generation” into a real product.

Are you waiting for Steam Deck 2, or have competitors already won you over?

Sources: IGN, PC Gamer, Eurogamer