Steam Deck 2: Steam Deck 2: Speculated Release Date, Potential Specifications, and More
The Steam Deck has always been quite the fan favorite among gamers, gaining immense popularity in the last two years. Valve also released an upgraded OLED version, bringing better refresh rate and screen quality to their handheld. However, gamers worldwide have eagerly awaited the Steam Deck 2. While not a lot of details are out there, we do have some speculations and potential specifications. Let’s begin discussing everything we know about the Steam Deck 2 here.
This article was last updated on March 14, 2024, to include new details about Steam Deck 2, along with title and header updation for better readability.
Steam Deck 2: Speculated Release Window
As per anofficial statementfrom Valve, the launch of Steam Deck 2 will take its sweet time. Based on what we know, we speculate the release window for the Steam Deck 2 to be by theend of 2026. This statement from Valve (viaBloomberg) was said back in late 2023, hence the speculated 2026 release.
Another recent rumor from the Chiphell forums also statedQ3-Q4 2026as the release window for Steam Deck 2. This rumor coincides with what Valve told Bloomberg regarding the Steam Deck 2 release date. Still, we suggest taking this with a grain of salt.
“[Steam Deck 2] won’t be happening for at least two-three years” – Lawrence Yang, Product Designer at Valve
Is there any chance for a 2025 release date for Steam Deck 2?Yes, since nothing is set in stone yet. As Valve’s product designer revealed earlier in 2023, the company is “thinking about Steam Deck 2 at all times“.
I theorize that as soon as AMD releases theRDNA 4 graphicsarchitecture, work on a new custom APU will begin soon after. It will be used on Steam Deck 2, which should come aboutone yearafter the release of AMD’s RDNA 4.
Why don’t they make it earlier? Aren’t new processors already out? All that is true, but Valve has a good reason not to rush the Steam Deck 2. The company wants to achieve numerous targets with the next-gen handheld console. We shall see how they handle it.
Steam Deck 2: Expected Pricing
Various upgrades are in the pipeline as Valve works on the next upgrade. Speaking of the price of Deck 2, there is no concrete info, and we can only speculate for now. There are no pricing leaks, apart from the earlier Chiphell leak we spoke of, which mentioned that “the price should increase quite a lot.”
Before we speculate, let’s look at the launch pricing of previous Steam Deck models. The original Steam Deck launched at $399. After a few years, Valve also released another Steam DeckOLEDat $549. The newer OLED model also features a better, more efficient AMD processor built on a 6nm manufacturing process as compared to 7nm on the LCD variant.
If the Steam Deck 2 base model features an OLED screen, we can expect the price to beupwards of $500.Unless Valve changes the game with wildly different internal specs, the cost of upgrading the processor shouldn’t be too high.
Overall, we speculate that Steam Deck 2 will cost somewhere between$500 to $600. There is also a chance that Valve makes it much cheaper than we expect. Similar to how the first-gen Steam Deck is currently sold, after the launch of Steam Deck 2, we may see different console variants with LCD and OLED screens being sold at prices similar to what we have mentioned above.
As per rumors, Valve is also expected to continue to sell other lower-end configurations of Steam Deck. So, the current-gen OLED and LCD variants may not go away or become discontinued, even after the launch of the Steam Deck 2.
Steam Deck 2: Potential Specifications
Steam Deck 2 will feature one of the best processor architectures released around the year the next-gen handheld console launches. Here is our best speculation on the expected specs of Steam Deck 2.
The first model, launched in early 2022, featured an AMD AerithAPU(accelerated processing unit) built on a 7nm manufacturing process coupled with RDNA 2 graphics. This graphics architecture was first introduced with AMD’s RX 6000 series GPUs in late 2020. The CPU part of this custom-built APU on the original Steam Deck is built on the Zen 2architecture.
The Steam Deck 2 could feature a next-generation APU from AMD built withRDNA 4 graphics architecture. This has not been unveiled yet by the chipmaker. By the time RDNA 4 is released in the future, Zen 5 could also be out, bringing massive efficiency increases on the CPU side of things.
As per leakedshared on Chiphell.com, similar things have been said previously. The AMD Ryzen Z1 series is used on several handhelds like theLenovo Legion. These Ryzen Z1 Series CPUs with RDNA 3 are newer than what is used in Valve’s current-gen Steam Deck. But makers of the Steam Deck are eagerly waiting forsomething betterto use for the Steam Deck 2.
Notably, rumors from Chiphell suggested aZen 4architecture. However, RDNA 4 is also “just a calculated speculation.” The new APU could feature either Zen 4 with RDNA 4 or evenZen 5 with RDNA 4.
Since it is quite early, the company could also consider other chipmakers apart from AMD. We have seen OEMs releaseIntel Core Ultra-based gaming handhelds recently, such as theMSI Claw.
There is a 1-year gap between theinitiallaunch of AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture and the launch of the original Steam Deck. Speaking of the present, AMD’s new RDNA 3 architecture was unveiled in late 2021.
Despite this, it looks like Valve will wait forRDNA 4to launch instead. The efficiency increases in the next-generation processor, thanks to a better manufacturing process,shouldfinally meet Valve’s demands (Via:IGN) for the next-generationSteam Deck 2handheld gaming console.
“We are interested in the Steam Deck 2 once we believe that there is a generational leap available to us in terms of performance. We don’t see that yet, so we are not looking at Steam Deck 2 yet,” Lawrence Yang, Product Designer at Valve
The chipmaker AMD has already released technologies such asFSR 3AI-based frame generation topretty much double the FPSin games. Steam Deck 2 should also feature this tech, dramatically increasing its capabilities. AMD’sFidelityFX Resolutionis optimized further by Valve developers for the Steam Deck handheld gaming console.
Steam Deck OLED already brings various upgrades. So if that console featured a better processor, it would essentially be a major successor, aka Steam Deck 2. However, Valve does not find the current state of processors available to them feasible enough for a generational refresh to the Steam Deck.
Valve wants to develop the next-generation handheld to give users faster performance (of course). At the same time, the company wants to make the Steam Deck 2 equally good in terms of battery life.
I have reviewed the powerful ROG Ally handheld console, and while moregaming performanceis a major plus, the battery life is nowhere near how long the Steam Deck can last. Moreover, Valve has engineered the Steam Deck to be extremely efficient and well-optimized in managing its battery life. It will do the same for Steam Deck 2.
When Valve finally sees the efficiency and performance they seek for Steam Deck 2 in the processors released by chipmakers, they should begin work on the Steam Deck 2.
Steam Deck 2: Speculated Display Upgrades
Steam Deck 2 display could beOLED. However, Valve currently sells both Steam Deck in LCD and OLED variants. Given this trend, we can speculate a future upgrade’s base model to launch with an LCD screen. This could be followed by a Premium OLED model.
The company also discontinued 64GB and 512GB variants of the original Steam Deck (LCD variant) after the launch of the new OLED variant. The LCD variant, which is currently on sale, has 256GB storage, and this Steam Deck has now become the entry-level model of the lineup.
Speaking of rumors, the earlier mentioned Chiphell leak also gave us details on the display of a potential upgraded system. As mentioned in the internal specifications section, the new RDNA 4 graphics architecture that is expected to be used by Valve in a future upgrade has not been released yet by the chipmaker AMD.
So, it is quite early to tell whether or not this will end up being true. Here are details on the Steam Deck 2 display based on pure speculation and the latest rumors.
Overall, the next handheld from Valve should have an impressive display to become a significant upgrade from the base variant.
Steam Deck 2: Potential Design & Controller
Steam Deck is not an old console. However, it has been almost two years since the official unveiling, and by 2026, it will be over 4 years old. The OLED variant did receive a few design upgrades, most notably to the bigger OLED screen, which has reduced bezels.
There are no rumors or leaks as such on the Steam Deck 2 design. So, we arepurely speculating here. However, I don’t expect Valve to change things around too much. The overall footprint of the device is balanced and well thought-out.
Whatever processor they will put in the new Steam Deck 2 should not demand any extra cooling than what the current model features. Valve essentially demands better performance at similar power consumption, so the device shouldn’t getthickereither.
The OLED variant weighs a little less than the LCD variant. So, the new Deck could feature an improved weight in the 600-700 gram range. This is a spot-on assumption because the device ergonomics are quite important and should largely remain unchanged. The controlleritself could feature better thumbsticks in the Steam Deck 2.
Hall-effect joystickshave been a headlining feature of various new handhelds. MSI Claw and ROG Ally both feature it. The feeling of hall-effect joysticks in a game is best described as ‘more precise, and less effort required.’ The current-generation Steam Deck uses potentiometer-based joysticks, but it is unclear what is Valve’s stance on a hall effect-based implementation.
The OLED version features agrippiertextureon the left and right controller thumbsticks, so we can see an improvement here as well. Since many have even modded their joysticks for better support, we could see enhanced support here, too.As part of the Asia launch press event, we made the design lab into a showroom of development history. My favorite are the playable prototypes: bootable Deck family tree from mid-2019 to now, from a couple of hand-built units onto gradual mass production.pic.twitter.com/TpU5I8D50p— Pierre-Loup Griffais (@Plagman2)September 12, 2022
As part of the Asia launch press event, we made the design lab into a showroom of development history. My favorite are the playable prototypes: bootable Deck family tree from mid-2019 to now, from a couple of hand-built units onto gradual mass production.pic.twitter.com/TpU5I8D50p— Pierre-Loup Griffais (@Plagman2)September 12, 2022
Pierre Loup Griffaisworks for Valve in the Steam Deck team. In the above X (formerly Twitter) post, you can see many prototypes of the handheld console have been showcased. Some are curvier, and some are quite round. Many of these prototypes look even moreaestheticallypleasing than the current Steam Deck. So, some of these prototypes show us the possibility of upgrading the system in the future. But in the end, Valve came to this design and finalized it.
The new design may not be very different from the original model. But given how well the Steam Deck has sold in recent years, Valve can use the opportunity to release somethingway more eye-catchingthan the tried & true design of the handheld we know today.
In my opinion, the best formula Valve could use is to offerbetter design customization. The limited edition Steam Deck OLED looks gorgeous. Hopefully, Steam Deck 2 will come out in various colors.
Steam Deck 2: Expected Battery Size and Life
The original Steam Deck features a40 Whrbattery. There are many ways toextend Steam Deck’s battery life, includingpower banks. The new OLED Steam Deck features a 50 Whr battery, thanks to the thinner screen. Valve wants to deliver better performance on Steam Deck 2 without costing the user any battery life downgrades.
We hope (and expect) that Steam Deck 2 will feature “similar battery performance” as the latest model. Keep in mind that this doesn’t translate into the battery capacity. If the processor is much more efficient, a smaller battery can be used while providing similar longevity.
Even the newROG Phone 8features a smaller battery as compared to theROG Phone 7, which is made possible because of the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Something similar could happen here, too.
Based on this, the potential new system could feature a battery size between 40-50 Whr, but despite the final size, battery performance while gaming will either be higher or similar to the current models. This figure can also drastically change if Valve redesigns the chassis from the ground up.
And that’s everything we know about the Steam Deck 2 right now. As always, we will update this as new info keeps popping up, so stay tuned.
Do you have any personal expectations from the Steam Deck 2? Let us know in the comments below!
Sampad Banerjee
Meet Sampad, Beebom’s in-house video game enthusiast and writer. With two years of freelance experience, he has passionately crafted articles about the games he loves. You can find his writings on Sportskeeda, Gamingbolt, and GGTalks.
During work hours, he covers the latest gaming news, creates how-to guides, and occasionally shares video game reviews. In his free time, he enjoys building Gundam model kits, planning his next cosplay, and play his favorite RPG games.
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