Everything we know so far

When the Steam Deck first launched at the beginning of 2022, it was perceived as merely a novelty. There were handheld portable consoles and powerful desktop gaming PCs, but Valve aimed for something in between: a device that was both a PC and a console. Over the past two years, the company has undeniably succeeded in delivering one of the best best handheld gaming consoles on the market.

One indicator is the emergence of competing models, such as the Asus ROG Ally or the Lenovo Legion Go. Another is the incredible sales of the Steam Deck itself. With more than 3 million units sold in 2022 and 2023, its popularity surpassed everyone’s expectations — and those numbers don’t even include the latest OLED refresh.

Regarding the refresh, Valve has demonstrated its ability to provide significant mid-generation enhancements to the young handheld. With a new screen, larger battery, and faster APU, the Steam Deck OLED has already addressed many of the desires for the Steam Deck 2. However, this doesn’t mean Valve will become complacent. On the contrary, it indicates that there’s much to anticipate in the coming years.

Nevertheless, with the increasing competition, it raises the question of how and when Valve will introduce the Steam Deck 2. Nothing is definite yet, but we can make some educated guesses about the Steam Deck 2’s launch, price, and features. Here’s everything we know so 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

Display

7-inch IPS

Output resolution

1280 x 800 (16:10), 60 Hz

Ports

1x USB-C, 1x 3.5mm

Steam Deck 2 release date

Valve is keeping us waiting until 2025 or 2026

Pocket-lint

To cut the story short — we’re expecting the Steam Deck 2 to be released in 2025 at the earliest, but a more probable date is the second half of 2026.

Of course, these dates are still speculative for now. However, there are already quite a few leaks that more or less confirm the aforementioned timeframe. More recent sources suggest that we should expect the next generation to launch later rather than sooner, pointing to Q3 or Q4 of 2026.

In September 2023, Valve programmer Pierre-Loup Griffais told The Verge that Valve only intends to enhance the performance level of the Steam Deck “when there is a significant enough increase to be had,” and he doesn’t “anticipate such a leap to be possible in the next couple of years.”

In November 2023, Valve Product Designer Lawrence Yang told Bloomberg that the Steam Deck 2 will feature a “next-generation” power upgrade but won’t be available for two or three years. Yang also told Axios, “In the next two or three years, we’re confident that something will be what we would consider appropriate for a proper Steam Deck 2 device.”

But while it might be two or three years until we see a Steam Deck 2, Valve hardware designer Yazan Aldehayyat reassures us all (via Axios) that “there’s a roadmap ahead of us.”

That being said, we received another tantalizing piece of speculation about the potential release date, along with some unconfirmed specs, in January 2024. A user on a Chinese tech forum claimed that the new Steam Deck 2 is targeting a release window sometime in Q3-Q4 of 2026. This would mean that Valve has a bit more than two years to prepare the new generation.

Of course, this last leak is the least credible of all, as we have no knowledge of the source of this speculation. However, it aligns with general chatter on the topic, suggesting that the release of the Steam Deck OLED could push the new generation back a few months, potentially reflecting in the later release date.

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Steam Deck 2 pricing

Valve might have a cunning plan

While don’t know for certain yet, it would make sense for the Steam Deck 2 to cost about $500 at launch.

The original Steam Deck was launched at $399 (64GB version), $529 (256GB version), and $649 (512GB version). Back in July 2021, after announcing the Steam Deck, Valve President Gabe Newell told IGN that there was a need to be “very aggressive” with pricing as price-to-performance is a “critical factor” for mobile devices.

This trend appears to continue with the release of the new Steam Deck OLED. The base (LCD) model now offers 256GB of storage for the same $399 price, with limited availability of the 64GB LCD version for $349 and the 512GB LCD version for $449. The new, OLED-equipped models are priced at $549 for the 512GB version and $649 for the 1TB version.

Although these prices are still surprisingly low for such a powerful and user-friendly machine, the competition is beginning to intensify. For instance, the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go, with their Ryzen Z1 chips, offer superior performance compared to the original Steam Deck and are priced at just $699 ($620 for the Ally, with the current discount). It’s expected that the competition in handheld gaming PCs will become even more robust in two years. However, Steam Deck’s significant advantage lies in its software, which is purpose-built for gaming, unlike the somewhat inconsistent experience of Windows on handheld devices from other brands.

Therefore, if Valve intends to price the Steam Deck 2 competitively, it’s unlikely to be priced much higher than $500. However, to match the performance and features of its emerging competitors, Valve would also find it challenging to price it much below this figure.

Moreover, the OLED version indicates the direction Valve might take. Introducing a new model doesn’t necessarily mean phasing out the older one — as seen with the LCD versions of the regular Steam Deck. When the Steam Deck 2 arrives, the first generation might be discounted even further, presenting an attractive value proposition.

Steam Deck 2 display

Valve has to up its game

Right now, there’s no definite word from Valve on any potential design choices or features for the Steam Deck 2.

However, we can assume that the Steam Deck 2 will aim to compete with other handheld gaming PCs, such as the Asus ROG Ally. Handhelds like the ROG Ally have some features that the original Steam Deck lacks, primarily in the display department.

Sure, the Samsung-built display on the OLED version of the Steam Deck offers a significant improvement over the original’s display, but it doesn’t meet all the standards set by its competitors. For example, while the ROG Ally features a 120Hz refresh rate display, the original Steam Deck’s display operates at just 60Hz, and the Steam Deck OLED at 90Hz. The Ally’s display also boasts a higher 1080p resolution.

Therefore, the display is still one area where the Steam Deck 2 could catch up. The launch of the Steam Deck OLED indicates that Valve recognizes and values this aspect. That being said, we shouldn’t expect a 1080p screen on the next-gen Steam Deck. If Valve decides to increase the resolution, we’re more likely to see a 1440×900 panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, possibly with variable refresh rate support.

Apart from the display, we might anticipate more of the same — though possibly improved — design and feature choices with the Steam Deck 2. One addition that would be nice is detachable controllers like those found on the Nintendo Switch and Lenovo Legion Go. However, it doesn’t seem that the Steam Deck is in need of a significant design overhaul — it’s one of the most comfortable handhelds, so Valve might not want to fix what isn’t broke.

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Steam Deck 2 specs

Next-generation hardware

Valve/ Pocket-lint

It’s a safe bet that the Steam Deck 2 will boast significantly better hardware than the original Steam Deck. After all, Valve employees have stated that a second Steam Deck will feature a next-gen power upgrade, implying next-gen hardware.

While the original and OLED versions of the Steam Deck are produced using different fabrication processes — the former with a 7nm process and the latter with a 6nm one — they both utilize essentially the same processor. Both are equipped with an AMD ‘Van Gogh’ APU, which is based on AMD’s Zen 2 (CPU) and RDNA 2 (GPU) architectures.

However, Zen 2 and RDNA 2 are now outdated. We’re already seeing Zen 4, Zen 4c, and RDNA 3 architectures in the Z1 and Z1 Extreme processors of the ROG Ally and Legion Go. Therefore, for the Steam Deck 2 to stay competitive, we can anticipate it having at least a Zen 4 and RDNA 3 processor.

Depending on the Steam Deck 2’s launch date, we might encounter either an RDNA 3- or RDNA 4-based chip. The RDNA 3 graphics architecture was launched in December 2022, and RDNA 4 is rumored (via TweakTown and VideoGamer) to launch at the end of 2024.

Tech leak YouTuber Moore’s Law is Dead reported on a leak suggesting an RDNA 3 GPU for the Steam Deck 2. However, the original Steam Deck was launched a little over a year after RDNA 2 chips hit the market, and a similar timeline could apply between RDNA 4’s market debut in late 2024 and the Steam Deck 2’s launch in 2025-2026. So, if you ask us (forever optimists), the Steam Deck 2 is most likely to feature a Zen 4 and RDNA 4 processor.

That being said, a powerful APU is nothing without an equally capable battery to power it. Thanks to the newer lithography and a more efficient screen, the Steam Deck OLED has already demonstrated a significant improvement in battery life over the LCD version. However, we’re expecting Valve to focus even more on extending the Steam Deck 2’s battery life, keeping it away from the wall socket for as long as possible.

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Steam Deck 2 optimizations

More FPS, better UI

Whether the Steam Deck 2 utilizes RDNA 3 or RDNA 4 graphics, we can be fairly certain that it will perform substantially better than the original Steam Deck.

This expectation is not only suggested by current-gen handhelds like the ROG Ally and Legion Go but is also reinforced by statements from some of Valve’s representatives. Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais told the following to The Verge:

As for what this will mean in practice for gamers purchasing a Steam Deck 2, assuming the upgrade is as significant as Valve intends, it could be the difference between having to run the latest games at 30fps and being able to run them at 60fps. The ROG Ally already far outperforms the Steam Deck, and Valve might hope to reclaim ground by introducing a Steam Deck 2 that outperforms the ROG Ally in turn.

However, the Steam Deck 2’s secret weapon might also be its software. With its gaming-centric OS, the Steam Deck’s system is lightweight and not as resource-intensive, which, combined with a faster GPU and CPU, could lead to quite an impressive performance from the upcoming console.

What’s more, Valve is banking on its ease of use to be at least as appealing as the sheer power of the handheld. Looking at the sales figures of the (relatively) underpowered Steam Deck, it’s evident that this strategy is paying off.