Every little thing we all know thus far

When the Steam Deck first launched at the start of 2022, it was perceived as merely a novelty. There have been handheld transportable consoles and highly effective desktop gaming PCs, however Valve aimed for one thing in between: a tool that was each a PC and a console. Over the previous two years, the corporate has undeniably succeeded in delivering probably the greatest best handheld gaming consoles in the marketplace.

One indicator is the emergence of competing fashions, such because the Asus ROG Ally or the Lenovo Legion Go. One other is the unimaginable gross sales of the Steam Deck itself. With greater than 3 million items offered in 2022 and 2023, its reputation surpassed everybody’s expectations — and people numbers do not even embody the latest OLED refresh.

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Concerning the refresh, Valve has demonstrated its capability to offer important mid-generation enhancements to the younger handheld. With a brand new display, bigger battery, and sooner APU, the Steam Deck OLED has already addressed lots of the wishes for the Steam Deck 2. Nevertheless, this doesn’t suggest Valve will change into complacent. Quite the opposite, it signifies that there is a lot to anticipate within the coming years.

However, with the rising competitors, it raises the query of how and when Valve will introduce the Steam Deck 2. Nothing is particular but, however we are able to make some educated guesses in regards to the Steam Deck 2’s launch, worth, and options. Here is every part we all know thus far.

Valve Steam Deck

$533 $560 Save $27

Chipset

AMD Zen 2 APU/8 RDNA 2 CUs

RAM

16GB LPDDR5 RAM

Storage

Upto 512GB NVME SSD

Show

7-inch IPS

Output decision

1280 x 800 (16:10), 60 Hz

Ports

1x USB-C, 1x 3.5mm

Steam Deck 2 launch date

Valve is protecting us ready till 2025 or 2026

Pocket-lint

To chop the story brief — we’re anticipating the Steam Deck 2 to be launched in 2025 on the earliest, however a extra possible date is the second half of 2026.

After all, these dates are nonetheless speculative for now. Nevertheless, there are already fairly just a few leaks that roughly affirm the aforementioned timeframe. More moderen sources counsel that we must always anticipate the subsequent era to launch later reasonably than sooner, pointing to Q3 or This autumn of 2026.

In September 2023, Valve programmer Pierre-Loup Griffais told The Verge that Valve solely intends to reinforce the efficiency degree of the Steam Deck “when there’s a important sufficient enhance available,” and he would not “anticipate such a leap to be potential within the subsequent couple of years.”

In November 2023, Valve Product Designer Lawrence Yang told Bloomberg that the Steam Deck 2 will characteristic a “next-generation” energy improve however will not be obtainable for 2 or three years. Yang additionally told Axios, “Within the subsequent two or three years, we’re assured that one thing will probably be what we’d take into account applicable for a correct Steam Deck 2 gadget.”

However whereas it may be two or three years till we see a Steam Deck 2, Valve {hardware} designer Yazan Aldehayyat reassures us all (via Axios) that “there is a roadmap forward of us.”

That being mentioned, we obtained one other tantalizing piece of hypothesis in regards to the potential launch date, together with some unconfirmed specs, in January 2024. A person on a Chinese language tech discussion board claimed that the brand new Steam Deck 2 is focusing on a launch window someday in Q3-This autumn of 2026. This is able to imply that Valve has a bit greater than two years to arrange the brand new era.

After all, this final leak is the least credible of all, as we now have no data of the supply of this hypothesis. Nevertheless, it aligns with normal chatter on the subject, suggesting that the discharge of the Steam Deck OLED might push the brand new era again just a few months, probably reflecting within the later launch date.

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Steam Deck 2 pricing

Valve may need a crafty plan

Whereas do not know for sure but, it will make sense for the Steam Deck 2 to value about $500 at launch.

The unique Steam Deck was launched at $399 (64GB model), $529 (256GB model), and $649 (512GB model). Again in July 2021, after asserting the Steam Deck, Valve President Gabe Newell told IGN that there was a should be “very aggressive” with pricing as price-to-performance is a “vital issue” for cellular gadgets.

This pattern seems to proceed with the discharge of the brand new Steam Deck OLED. The bottom (LCD) mannequin now presents 256GB of storage for a similar $399 worth, with restricted availability of the 64GB LCD model for $349 and the 512GB LCD model for $449. The brand new, OLED-equipped fashions are priced at $549 for the 512GB model and $649 for the 1TB model.

Though these costs are nonetheless surprisingly low for such a robust and user-friendly machine, the competitors is starting to accentuate. As an illustration, the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go, with their Ryzen Z1 chips, supply superior efficiency in comparison with the unique Steam Deck and are priced at simply $699 ($620 for the Ally, with the present low cost). It is anticipated that the competitors in handheld gaming PCs will change into much more sturdy in two years. Nevertheless, Steam Deck’s important benefit lies in its software program, which is purpose-built for gaming, in contrast to the considerably inconsistent expertise of Home windows on handheld gadgets from different manufacturers.

Due to this fact, if Valve intends to cost the Steam Deck 2 competitively, it is unlikely to be priced a lot larger than $500. Nevertheless, to match the efficiency and options of its rising opponents, Valve would additionally discover it difficult to cost it a lot under this determine.

Furthermore, the OLED model signifies the route Valve may take. Introducing a brand new mannequin would not essentially imply phasing out the older one — as seen with the LCD variations of the common Steam Deck. When the Steam Deck 2 arrives, the primary era may be discounted even additional, presenting a horny worth proposition.

Steam Deck 2 show

Valve has to up its sport

Proper now, there is no particular phrase from Valve on any potential design selections or options for the Steam Deck 2.

Nevertheless, we are able to assume that the Steam Deck 2 will goal to compete with different handheld gaming PCs, such because the Asus ROG Ally. Handhelds just like the ROG Ally have some options that the unique Steam Deck lacks, primarily within the show division.

Positive, the Samsung-built show on the OLED model of the Steam Deck presents a major enchancment over the unique’s show, however it would not meet all of the requirements set by its opponents. For instance, whereas the ROG Ally incorporates a 120Hz refresh fee show, the unique Steam Deck’s show operates at simply 60Hz, and the Steam Deck OLED at 90Hz. The Ally’s show additionally boasts a better 1080p decision.

Due to this fact, the show remains to be one space the place the Steam Deck 2 might catch up. The launch of the Steam Deck OLED signifies that Valve acknowledges and values this facet. That being mentioned, we should not anticipate a 1080p display on the next-gen Steam Deck. If Valve decides to extend the decision, we’re extra prone to see a 1440×900 panel with a 90Hz refresh fee, probably with variable refresh fee help.

Aside from the show, we would anticipate extra of the identical — although probably improved — design and have selections with the Steam Deck 2. One addition that may be good is removable controllers like these discovered on the Nintendo Switch and Lenovo Legion Go. Nevertheless, it would not appear that the Steam Deck is in want of a major design overhaul — it is one of the vital snug handhelds, so Valve won’t need to repair what is not broke.

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Steam Deck 2 specs

Subsequent-generation {hardware}

Valve/ Pocket-lint

It is a secure wager that the Steam Deck 2 will boast considerably higher {hardware} than the unique Steam Deck. In spite of everything, Valve staff have acknowledged {that a} second Steam Deck will characteristic a next-gen energy improve, implying next-gen {hardware}.

Whereas the unique and OLED variations of the Steam Deck are produced utilizing completely different fabrication processes — the previous with a 7nm course of and the latter with a 6nm one — they each make the most of primarily the identical processor. Each are geared up with an AMD ‘Van Gogh’ APU, which is predicated on AMD’s Zen 2 (CPU) and RDNA 2 (GPU) architectures.

Nevertheless, Zen 2 and RDNA 2 at the moment are outdated. We’re already seeing Zen 4, Zen 4c, and RDNA 3 architectures within the Z1 and Z1 Excessive processors of the ROG Ally and Legion Go. Due to this fact, for the Steam Deck 2 to remain aggressive, we are able to anticipate it having at the least a Zen 4 and RDNA 3 processor.

Relying on the Steam Deck 2’s launch date, we would encounter both an RDNA 3- or RDNA 4-based chip. The RDNA 3 graphics structure was launched in December 2022, and RDNA 4 is rumored (through TweakTown and VideoGamer) to launch on the finish of 2024.

Tech leak YouTuber Moore’s Law is Dead reported on a leak suggesting an RDNA 3 GPU for the Steam Deck 2. Nevertheless, the unique Steam Deck was launched a bit over a yr after RDNA 2 chips hit the market, and an identical timeline might apply between RDNA 4’s market debut in late 2024 and the Steam Deck 2’s launch in 2025-2026. So, in case you ask us (perpetually optimists), the Steam Deck 2 is almost definitely to characteristic a Zen 4 and RDNA 4 processor.

That being mentioned, a robust APU is nothing with out an equally succesful battery to energy it. Because of the newer lithography and a extra environment friendly display, the Steam Deck OLED has already demonstrated a major enchancment in battery life over the LCD model. Nevertheless, we’re anticipating Valve to focus much more on extending the Steam Deck 2’s battery life, protecting it away from the wall socket for so long as potential.

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Steam Deck 2 optimizations

Extra FPS, higher UI

Whether or not the Steam Deck 2 makes use of RDNA 3 or RDNA 4 graphics, we might be pretty sure that it’s going to carry out considerably higher than the unique Steam Deck.

This expectation just isn’t solely prompt by current-gen handhelds just like the ROG Ally and Legion Go however can be bolstered by statements from a few of Valve’s representatives. Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais informed the next to The Verge:

As for what it will imply in follow for players buying a Steam Deck 2, assuming the improve is as important as Valve intends, it may very well be the distinction between having to run the newest video games at 30fps and with the ability to run them at 60fps. The ROG Ally already far outperforms the Steam Deck, and Valve may hope to reclaim floor by introducing a Steam Deck 2 that outperforms the ROG Ally in flip.

Nevertheless, the Steam Deck 2’s secret weapon may also be its software program. With its gaming-centric OS, the Steam Deck’s system is light-weight and never as resource-intensive, which, mixed with a sooner GPU and CPU, might result in fairly a formidable efficiency from the upcoming console.

What’s extra, Valve is banking on its ease of use to be at the least as interesting because the sheer energy of the hand-held. Wanting on the gross sales figures of the (comparatively) underpowered Steam Deck, it is evident that this technique is paying off.