Valve confirms that the Steam Deck 2 remains to be a good distance off
Valve’s new Steam {hardware} bulletins—a revived Steam Machine desktop-slash-console, a standalone Steam Body VR headset, and a refreshed Steam Controller—are all anybody’s speaking about proper now. However none of them would have such excessive profiles with out the Steam Deck, Valve’s smash hit handheld. So then, the place’s the Steam Deck 2? Nonetheless coming however not any time quickly, says a Valve consultant.
That’s the identical factor we’ve been listening to from the corporate for over two years, whilst we strategy 4 years for the reason that Steam Deck landed, and whilst would-be rivals come out with newer and extra highly effective {hardware}. Regardless of the unique AMD Zen 2-based Deck getting a little bit lengthy within the tooth and struggling to play the most recent, most demanding PC video games, Valve software program engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais says that the corporate is ready for a extra dramatic improve in {hardware} earlier than giving the hand held a real sequel.
In an interview with IGN, Griffais says, “The factor we’re ensuring of is that it’s a worthwhile sufficient efficiency improve to make sense as a standalone product. We’re not occupied with getting to some extent the place it’s 20% or 30% and even 50% extra efficiency on the similar battery life. We would like one thing a little bit bit extra demarcated than that.” Whereas conserving an in depth eye on the most recent chips—presumably together with AMD choices just like the Ryzen Z2 Excessive—Valve apparently hasn’t discovered something that will make sense for a real follow-up to its flagship handheld.
The Steam Deck’s relative lack of energy goes to get a really stark spotlight when the brand new Steam Machine lands in “early 2026.” It’ll be operating a customized AMD Zen 4 6-core processor and a equally customized discrete graphics card with an RDNA 3 design with 8GB. That’s not sufficient to take down the most recent gaming laptops or desktops, however in response to Valve’s personal promotional supplies, it’ll have “six occasions the ability” of the Steam Deck with its APU-based built-in graphics.
Within the meantime, it’s doable to get the Steam Deck’s most essential characteristic on different {hardware}. SteamOS now comes because the official pre-loaded working system on a minimum of some fashions of the Lenovo Legion Go S, and Valve publishes official builds for different units just like the Asus ROG Ally. Bazzite, a preferred gaming-focused Linux distribution, is obtainable for much more units. It’s thought-about a type of “unofficial” SteamOS, leaning closely on Steam and emulating a variety of its interface.
However should you’re ready for a more recent, extra highly effective moveable sport machine from Valve, you’ll be ready some time. Taking Griffais at his phrase and absent any earth-shattering new developments within the chip trade, I’d be stunned to see a brand new mannequin earlier than 2027.
