Valve may be planning to release the Steam Deck 2 in 2028, according to one leaker. Official news on the sequel to the successful handheld has been sparse, but the portable PC space has grown increasingly crowded in the past few years. Despite the growing competition, the next Steam Deck could take a while before it hits the market.

Official Steam Deck image from the official website.

While Valve's earlier attempts at breaking into the hardware market did not make the best impression among fans, the Steam Deck was a different story. It wasn't the first handheld PC, but it did popularize the concept, kicking off a wave of similar systems from multiple manufacturers. Now, the Steam Deck's sales have dropped after the Switch 2 reveal and Xbox has revealed its own lineup of handhelds, but it could still be a bit before Valve's next system arrives.

switch 2 sales compared to steam deck
Nintendo Switch 2 is on Track to Absolutely Smoke the Steam Deck

The Nintendo Switch 2's early sales indicate the console is going to blow past all other gaming handhelds, including Valve's Steam Deck.

2
By 

Leaker Claims Steam Deck 2 May Come in 2028

Gaming hardware leaker KeplerL2 commented on a NeoGAF thread that the Steam Deck would arrive in 2028 in response to another user wondering if Valve would overshadow the ROG Xbox Ally by releasing its new system soon. That would place it six years after the initial Steam Deck and five years after the OLED version. That may seem like a long wait, but Valve has previously said it won't release the Steam Deck 2 until it can achieve a "generational leap" in performance without sacrificing the console's battery life. Given those earlier comments, a 2028 release window would not be too surprising.

game-devs-take-stance-against-generative-ai-no-gen-ai-seal-creation

A different leaker, Moore's Law Is Dead, has claimed that Sony aims to release the handheld PS6 in late 2027 or early 2028. If that's true, then the Steam Deck 2 may have a solid competitor around its launch window, even if it won't release soon enough for the Xbox vs. Valve battle some had anticipated. Of course, neither Valve nor Sony has announced specific release windows for their respective handhelds, so both timelines are still uncertain.

steam deck oled white 3/4 front

What Valve's "generational leap" might look like is also subject to speculation right now, but fans may have some hints. In 2024, some Valve patents hinted at Steam Deck upgrades like improved streaming and VR support. It's worth noting that companies sometimes patent technology without plans to integrate it immediately, and Valve could also implement the new systems in a different Steam Deck model before the Deck 2. Gamers will have to wait for official news to know for sure, and given these recent leaks, that could end up being a long wait.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Steam Deck Tag Page Cover Art

Steam Deck
Display card tags widget Display card system widget
Systems
PC-1
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget
Released
February 25, 2022
Developer(s)
Valve
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start
Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Steam Deck is a handheld computing and video game device developed by Valve. The open platform system allows users to play their Steam library of games as well as Windows PC games, thanks to the Linux-based Proton compatibility layer. Users can also install other compatible games or other operating systems as well.

Steam Deck has a user-friendly interface specifically designed for its gamepad controls. Its software and operating system are tailored for Steam Deck, making it the easiest way to get into PC gaming.
 

Platform(s)
PC