- A Valve engineer says a Steam Deck 2 is still a long way off
- There’s no chip powerful enough to do the sequel justice, we’re told
- However, Valve has a “pretty good idea of what the next Steam Deck release will be.”
All the talk has been about the new Steam Machine since Valve revealed plans to resurrect the device, but the Steam Deck 2 has also been mentioned in the middle of those discussions – although we’re told the time is still not right for a sequel to the portable.
That’s what Valve software engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais (who works on SteamOS) told us in an interview with IGN that was primarily focused 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 repeated the previous sentiment that we’re not yet at the point where upgrading the internals would make enough of a difference for a potential Steam Deck 2.
Griffais observed: “We are not interested in getting to a point where there is 20, 30 or even 50% more performance. [than the existing Steam Deck] with the same battery life. We want something a little more delineated than that.
“So we’ve been working on silicon advancements and architectural improvements, and I think we have a pretty good idea of what the next version of Steam Deck will be, but right now there’s no offering in that landscape, in the SoC landscape, that we think would truly be a next-generation performance Steam Deck.”
In short, while there may be powerful new SoCs – systems on chips, that is, all-in-one processors and graphics solutions – on the market, they are not energetic enough at the moment. Valve wants mobile chips with more power for a Steam Deck 2.
Analysis: it all depends on the software, in fact
If this all sounds familiar, it’s because it was the same line of thinking that Valve was following two years ago. At the time, this led people to think that a Steam Deck 2 might be due in 2026 or so, which is clearly not the case. Indeed, more recent rumors point to a launch in 2028, which could be a possibility – although nothing seems to be set in stone given Griffais’ latest comments.
Let’s be real: Valve now has new hardware to focus on, with the goal of dominating the living via the reborn Steam Engines. That will surely be the short-term goal – but in many ways, it’s the software that’s really the key for Valve.
The reason Valve thinks a Steam Machine will work now – when the first take failed towards the end of the last decade, as you may recall – is that SteamOS and Linux game compatibility (via the Proton translation layer) is in a much better place than it was 10 years ago when the original Steam Machine officially launched.
And Valve needs to continue to move forward with SteamOS, and game compatibility in general, as a priority, because it’s the key to the future of enticing PC gamers away from Windows 11. Good hardware is important, of course, but it’s really the developments on the software side that are vital, and a large part of the reason the Steam Machine now has another fighting chance, with the device much more likely to succeed.
For those who despise the hardware specs of the second generation Steam Machine, well, yeah, it’s not the beefiest gaming spec by any means. However, don’t forget that there are other beefier mini PCs out there – and there’s nothing stopping enthusiastic gamers from buying one and slapping SteamOS on it. Valve also wins in this scenario, as it continues to drive SteamOS adoption and game purchases on Steam. (And that gives us hope that Valve won’t stress the price of the Steam Machine too much, too).
Increased game sales are going to represent the ultimate financial reward for Valve here, not profits on hardware sales, which is another reason why a Steam Deck 2 is probably quite far away. Particularly with Steam Machine development to consider, why should it be a priority to roll out a sequel to the Steam Deck until the original’s hardware really starts to creak and show its age? Further consider that it’s nice for gamers to be able to purchase a device without it feeling outdated because the sequel comes out relatively soon after.
I think Valve has taken a smart strategy here, and it’s one that might worry Microsoft: there’s no shortage of gamers looking to ditch Windows 11, and while there isn’t a realistic alternative for many people yet, that might not be the case for long as work on SteamOS and Proton moves forward.
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