Summary
- Valve confirms that it won't release Steam Deck 2 until it can achieve a generational leap in performance without trade-offs in battery life.
- Although other handheld PCs offer annualized hardware revisions, Valve has dismissed the strategy for Steam Deck in favor of consumer-friendliness.
- AMD's upcoming Z2 Extreme chipset might fit Valve's requirements for the Steam Deck 2.
Valve has provided some insight into its plans for the eventual successor to the Steam Deck. The hugely popular handheld gaming PC received a mid-cycle refresh last year in the form of the Steam Deck OLED, and it appears Valve is now fully focussed on the development of its successor.
Launched in 2022, the Steam Deck has been instrumental in kickstarting the handheld gaming PC space. Over one million units of the Steam Deck were shipped to customers within a year of release, and that number has no doubt grown since then, as have the number of handheld competitors from Asus, MSI, Lenovo, and more. Last year's OLED revision of the Steam Deck brought forth a bevy of upgrades to freshen up the Valve system. However, fans have been wondering what's next for the Steam Deck amid growing competition.
The Steam Deck is Coming to a New Region
Valve announces that the Steam Deck will be available for sale in a new region that previously had no direct access to the gaming handheld.
Back when the Steam Deck OLED was revealed, Valve mentioned that it was looking for a generational leap in performance for a potential Steam Deck 2. However, several new handheld rivals, like the Asus ROG Ally X, MSI Claw, and Acer Nitro Blaze 7 have entered the fray since then, prompting speculation over whether the Steam Deck 2 could be fast-tracked. It seems that Valve remains committed to its original development plans for Steam Deck 2, though, as per a recent Reviews.org interview with Steam Deck designer Lawrence Yang.
Valve Eschews Yearly Hardware Revisions for the Steam Deck in Favor of a Proper Steam Deck 2 Down the Line
When asked about annual handheld PC refreshes like the Asus ROG Ally X, Yang disputed the strategy, stating that Valve is not interested in the "yearly cadence" because it's "not really fair" to customers for an incrementally better product every year. Yang then reiterated the original plan for the Steam Deck 2's development, confirming that Valve is indeed waiting for a "generational leap in compute" without any compromises to battery life. The latter focus is refreshing, as battery life is just as important as performance for a handheld gaming PC.
We really do want to wait for a generational leap in compute without sacrificing battery life before we ship the real second generation of Steam Deck, but it is something that we’re excited about, and we’re working on.
As for when this generational leap in portable chipset performance occurs is anyone's guess, but it should happen sooner rather than later. PC hardware enthusiasts currently have their sights set on AMD's upcoming Z2 Extreme chipset, where performance is expected to take a significant leap. Curiously, though, AMD has also implied that battery life is a big focus for the Z2 Extreme, which lines up with Valve's ideology for the Steam Deck 2. It wouldn't come as much of a surprise if AMD and Valve are currently working on a bespoke version of the Z2 Extreme for the Steam Deck 2, much like the Steam Deck's custom RDNA 2-derived SoC.
Steam Deck
- 4K Capabilities
- Yes
- Screen
- 7" diagonal 1280 x 800px (16:10 aspect ratio) 60Hz
- Storage
- 64 GB - 512 GB
- CPU
- AMD APU Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz
- Battery
- 40Whr battery. 2 - 8 hours of gameplay
Valve's long-awaited portable console is here, and it's taking the handheld gaming market by storm. Valve partnered with AMD to create Steam Deck's custom APU, optimized for handheld gaming. It is a Zen 2 + RDNA 2 powerhouse, delivering more than enough performance to run the latest AAA games in a very efficient power envelope.
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info- Connectivity
- Bluetooth 5.0 and Dual-band Wi-Fi radio, 2.4GHz and 5GHz
- Ports
- 1x USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 Alt-mode support; up to 8K @60Hz or 4K @120Hz, 1x USB 3.2,1x Micro SD slot, 1x 3.5 audio jack
- Dimensions
- 298mm x 117mm x 49mm
- Weight
- Approx. 669 grams
- Audio
- Stereo with embedded DSP for an immersive listening experience and Dual Microphone Array