- A Valve engineer has indicated that a Steam Deck 2 is still a long way off
- We’re told there isn’t a chip powerful enough to do the sequel justice.
- However, Valve has “a pretty good idea of what the next version of the Steam Deck will be.”
All the talk has been about the new Steam Machine since Valve revealed its plans to resurrect the device, but the Steam Deck 2 has also been mentioned amidst said talk, although we’re told the time isn’t right for a sequel to the handheld just yet.
That’s what we heard from Valve software engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais (who works on SteamOS) in an interview with IGN that focused primarily on the Steam Machine.
However, when IGN mentioned the Steam Deck and how it’s “aging a bit,” and whether there might be plans for an upgraded handheld, Griffais echoed the previous sentiment that we’re not yet at a point where upgrading the internals would make enough of a difference for a potential Steam Deck 2.
Griffais noted, “We’re not interested in getting to a point where performance is 20, 30, or even 50 percent higher.” [than the existing Steam Deck] with the same battery life. We want something a little more demarcated than that.
“So we’ve been working off silicon advancements and architectural improvements, and I think we have a pretty good idea of what the next version of the Steam Deck will be, but right now there are no offerings in that landscape, in the SoC landscape, that we think would really be a next-gen performance Steam Deck.”
In short, while there may be some powerful new SoCs (system-on-chips, i.e. all-in-one processors and graphics solutions) on the market, they are not dynamic enough at the moment. Valve wants more powerful mobile chips for Steam Deck 2.
Analysis: It’s actually about the software
If this all sounds familiar, it’s because this was the same line of thinking Valve held two years ago. At the time, that led people to think that a Steam Deck 2 could be in play by 2026 or so, which clearly isn’t happening. In fact, the most recent rumors indicate a 2028 release, and that could be a possibility, although it seems like nothing is even remotely set in stone given these latest comments from Griffais.
Let’s face it: Valve now has new hardware to focus on, with the big push to dominate the living through the reborn Steam Machines. That will surely be the short-term focus, but in many ways, it’s the software that’s really key for Valve.
The reason Valve thinks Steam Machine will work now, when the first version failed at the end of the last decade, as you may remember, is because SteamOS and Linux game support (via the Proton translation layer) are in a much better position than they were about 10 years ago, when the original Steam Machine was officially released.
And Valve needs to keep moving forward with SteamOS, and gaming compatibility in general, as a priority, because this is the key to the future of tempting PC gamers away from Windows 11. Good hardware is important, of course, but it’s actually the moves on the software front that are vital, and in fact are a big part of the reason why the Steam Machine is getting another crack of the whip now, with the device much more likely to succeed.
For those who despise the hardware specs of the second-generation Steam Machine, well, yeah, this isn’t the strongest gaming spec out there, by any means. However, remember that there are other mini PCs that are more robust, and there’s nothing stopping keen gamers from buying one of them and slapping SteamOS on it. Valve also wins in this scenario, because it continues to drive SteamOS adoption and game purchases on Steam. (And this gives us hope that Valve won’t push the Steam Machine price too hard too.)
Rising game sales will represent the ultimate financial reward for Valve here, not profits from hardware sales, which is another reason Steam Deck 2 is probably quite a ways off. Particularly given the development of the Steam Machine, why should it be a priority to implement a Steam Deck sequel until the hardware of the original really starts to creak and show its age? Also consider that it’s nice for gamers to be able to buy a device and not feel obsolete because the sequel comes out relatively soon after.
I think Valve has adopted a smart strategy here, and it’s one that might worry Microsoft: there’s no shortage of players looking to ditch Windows 11, and while there isn’t a realistic alternative for many people yet, that may not be the case for much longer as work on SteamOS and Proton progresses.
The best PC drivers
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
