Will there be a Steam Deck 2? Latest news and speculation

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Valve recently revealed new products like the Steam Frame VR headset, Steam Machine, and Steam Controller, leading many to wonder if a Steam Deck 2 is also in development.

We’ll also discuss the possible release date for a Steam Deck 2, what improvements we might see in a new version, and how it could work with other Steam hardware like the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. Developers who are currently testing the Steam Frame seem very pleased with it.

It’s understandable to think about how the Steam Deck is holding up, especially since so many people love it. The new OLED model is a fantastic improvement, but for some games, the original Steam Deck is starting to show its age.

While other portable gaming PCs like the Xbox Rog Ally exist, none have offered a significant upgrade in features, performance, or how long the battery lasts.

Unlike the Steam Deck, which Valve plans to support for years, these other devices are being released so quickly that it’s unlikely they’ll receive long-term software updates or have replacement parts available for very long. This makes the Steam Deck a more reliable choice for continued support.

So, with all this in mind, let’s just see what might be in store for us with the Steam Deck 2!

Will there be a Steam Deck 2?

Yes, there will be a Steam Deck 2.

It’s unclear what Valve will call the next version of the Steam Deck, or even exactly when it will release, but a successor to the original handheld is definitely planned – just not in the near future.

During the unveiling of Steam’s new hardware – including the Steam Machine, VR headset, and Steam Controller – IGN asked Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais about the future Steam Deck 2. Griffais explained that Valve wants the next version to offer a significant performance boost, justifying its release as a completely new product.

Griffais explained to IGN that they aren’t aiming for a huge performance boost with the same battery life—like 20, 30, or even 50% better. Instead, they’re focusing on achieving a clearly noticeable improvement.

Valve has a clear idea of the performance they want in a future Steam Deck, but they’re currently waiting for suitable technology to become available. According to Valve’s Lawrence Yang, there aren’t any current processor options that would deliver the significant performance boost they’re looking for in a next-generation Steam Deck.

So, what kind of performance can we expect? Read on!

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What will the Steam Deck 2 be like?

We can get a good idea of what Valve plans to improve on future Steam Decks by looking at the Steam Deck OLED model they released in November 2023, and by keeping an eye on current and upcoming tech trends.

The next Steam Deck will likely be similar in design and feel to the original, but with significantly improved performance. We anticipate a verification program for it, just like the one for the Steam Deck and the upcoming Steam Frame, to ensure compatibility with games.

What display will the Steam Deck 2 have?

The Steam Deck OLED, as the name suggests, features a new OLED screen. This upgrade delivers vibrant colors, impressive HDR, and a smoother visual experience thanks to a faster 90Hz refresh rate – a jump from the original Steam Deck’s 60Hz.

As much as I love this display, I’m a little bummed it doesn’t have variable refresh rate (VRR). Basically, VRR automatically syncs the screen’s refresh rate with how smoothly the game is running. Without it, you can sometimes get annoying screen tearing or choppy visuals. VRR just makes everything look way smoother, and I really wish this display had it!

Considering this, it’s reasonable to expect the Steam Deck 2 to feature an OLED screen with a fast refresh rate – potentially 120Hz – support for VRR technology, and battery life comparable to or better than the Steam Deck OLED model.

Okay, so from what I’m hearing, Valve might not mess with the screen resolution on the new Steam Deck. The original is 800p, and honestly, that’s a good thing! If they bumped up the resolution, it would really hit performance and battery life. Keeping it lower means any extra power they add can go towards making games look better, run smoother, or both – and that’s what we all want, right?

Even though it’s not as detailed as higher resolutions, 800p looks good on smaller screens. You won’t notice as big of a difference compared to upgrading a larger screen from 1080p to 4K.

How powerful will the Steam Deck 2 be?

The next Steam Deck is likely to be significantly more powerful – probably more than double the performance of the first one.

If a game runs at 30 frames per second on the original Steam Deck, the new Steam Deck 2 could potentially run it at 60 FPS with the same settings. However, the biggest improvements will likely be seen in newer games, thanks to the new technology. We’ll have more details on that later.

Okay, so thinking about what’s inside the Steam Deck 2, I’m pretty sure it’s going to have more memory. If they stick with the same 800p screen, 24GB of shared memory – that’s the stuff the processor and graphics card both use – should be plenty to handle things.

This should prevent the Steam Deck 2 from experiencing performance problems caused by running out of video memory. This often happens when games start to lag or stutter while loading high-resolution graphics.

So, about what’s actually inside this thing… Valve’s been pretty upfront that the chip it needs doesn’t even exist yet! But they have given us a good idea of what it’ll be able to do, tech-wise. It’s exciting to hear about the potential, even if the actual hardware is still in development.

The Steam Deck is powered by a chip made by AMD, and Valve will probably continue using AMD for future versions. Because of the close relationship between Sony and AMD, we have a good idea of what to anticipate in upcoming gaming technology.

The next PlayStation console, likely called the PlayStation 6, and the potential new PlayStation handheld are expected to use the newest technology from AMD. Their graphics processing units (GPUs) will be more similar to those found in Nvidia cards over the last few years.

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This results in significantly better ray tracing, and uses artificial intelligence to improve image quality and create smoother frame rates – similar to technologies like FSR4 found in newer AMD graphics cards such as the 9070 XT.

Right now, the Steam Deck relies on older upscaling technologies – AMD’s FSR3 and Intel XeSS DP4a. These aren’t as sophisticated as newer options like Nvidia’s DLSS, the latest AMD FSR4, or the full version of Intel’s XeSS, and the image quality isn’t nearly as good.

The next Steam Deck will be significantly more powerful, allowing it to run more challenging games. It will achieve this through improved processing power, better performance with features like ray-tracing, and the ability to render games at a lower resolution and then enhance the image quality using upscaling technology.

As a gamer, I’ve been hearing a lot about frame generation, and basically it’s a way to make a game look smoother, but it doesn’t actually speed up how the game is running. It works by cleverly creating extra frames between the ones your computer already makes, using some pretty smart tech to guess what those in-between frames would look like. It’s most effective when you’re already getting a good frame rate to begin with – otherwise, your controls can feel a little sluggish. But when it does work well, you can practically double the number of frames you see on your screen, which is perfect if you have a 120Hz monitor!

While a fully ray-traced version of Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t likely in the near future, you might be able to enable some ray tracing features. This is because the Steam Deck 2 is expected to use either RDNA 5 or UDNA graphics technology, which are the next-generation platforms AMD is developing.

Considering Sony’s potential development of a handheld console – suggested by the PS5’s power-saving features – and the likelihood that many game developers will create games for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, the next version of the Steam Deck is expected to have strong game compatibility and performance.

While these technologies are promising, creating a single chip that combines them and maintains the Steam Deck OLED’s excellent battery life and efficiency is still several years away.

Steam Deck 2 release date speculation

We speculate that the Steam Deck 2 will release in 2028.

As we’ve mentioned before, the Steam Deck 2’s progress is closely linked to the creation of the PlayStation 6, a potential PlayStation handheld device, and the development of new graphics technology from AMD called RDNA 5/UDNA.

The PlayStation 6 is likely to launch no sooner than 2027, though component costs could push the release back to 2028. Considering the PlayStation 4 launched in 2013 and the PS5 in late 2020 – following a seven-year gap similar to that between the PS3 and PS4 – 2027 seems like a reasonable estimate.

New graphics technology usually starts with high-end cards like the Nvidia RTX 5090. So, even though AMD has shown off its next-generation RDNA 5/UDNA technology, it will likely take a while before we see it in more affordable products, like processors with built-in graphics.

Valve will face competition from Sony and Microsoft when they all start using AMD’s new processors in their next consoles. AMD itself will then be competing with companies like Apple and Nvidia, all of whom rely on chip manufacturers like TSMC, which are always very busy fulfilling orders.

Okay, so Valve’s in a pretty good spot because the Steam Deck sold really well, which means they can order a lot of chips. But honestly, it’s still not going to be the same volume as what companies like Sony, Nvidia, or Apple need. That probably means chip manufacturers won’t prioritize Valve’s orders as much.

How much will the Steam Deck 2 cost? Steam Deck 2 price speculation

The Steam Deck 2 is likely to cost as much as the higher-tier Steam Decks.

When Valve was initially creating the Steam Deck, they worked hard to keep the price down. CEO Gabe Newell even admitted that reaching the original £349 price for the 64GB LCD model was very difficult.

Valve was surprised by the strong demand for the higher-end £569 Steam Deck model – the one with 512GB of storage and the anti-glare screen – after it launched. This feedback will likely influence the design of future versions, potentially leading to a more advanced, but pricier, device.

It’s also important to remember that prices are currently high due to inflation, and manufacturers of parts like memory are unlikely to lower them anytime soon.

It’s also unclear whether Valve will release several different models, like they did with the first Steam Deck, or just one version.

With all this in mind, we can probably expect the Steam Deck 2 to cost around £569 to £659.

We don’t yet know the price of the Steam Machine. Once the price is announced, we’ll have a clearer idea of its value.

How will the Steam Deck 2 work with other Steam hardware?

The new Steam Machine and Steam Deck seem to suggest Valve is building a complete system, and that’s partially correct. However, it’s more accurate to view Steam itself as the central platform, rather than focusing on the hardware.

As a Steam user, one of the things I really appreciate is how it just works on pretty much any PC. It’s not tied to specific hardware! And it’s a huge relief knowing that my game saves aren’t lost if I switch computers or even have to build a new one. Steam automatically transfers everything, so I can pick up right where I left off – it’s a lifesaver for important game data. (Hopefully they’ll bring it to consoles someday, too!)

As a Steam user, I love that if I have a game installed on one of my computers, and I want to install it on another one on the same network, Steam will actually copy the files directly between the machines instead of re-downloading everything from the internet! It’s way faster and saves bandwidth.

The Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame all use SteamOS, an operating system built on Linux. However, you’re not limited to SteamOS – you can install other operating systems on these devices if you prefer. Plus, you can install SteamOS on other hardware, like handhelds or AMD-powered laptops and desktops, to create your own custom Steam Machine.

The Steam Deck can also act as a controller for other Steam devices like Steam Machines or Steam Frames. However, a particularly exciting possibility is connecting a Steam Frame to a Steam Deck 2 to stream VR games. While this works, a gaming laptop would be a better choice if you need something portable.

For more than twenty years, Steam has been the central connection point for all of our hardware – it’s what truly brings everything together.

Authors

Cole LukeFreelance Writer

Cole Luke is a freelance journalist and video creator who works with TopMob Gaming. His work also appears in publications like Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, and Network N.

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2026-02-03 21:08