Source is KeplerL2, who is generally considered a reliable source for insider hardware info, particularly on AMD GPU hardware and AMD SoC for consoles.
Previously I would have personally estimated Steam Deck 2 to release mid 2026-early 2027, but the recent info about an upcoming Steam Machine made me think that maybe I should push back that estimate.
Of course even if we assume this is reliable insider info, a lot can change in couple years, so things can definitely change.
Why is everyone in a hurry? What’s wrong with the one we have? I have the 64GB LCD one (OG one) and it’s fucking flawless still. Yeah, the storage is annoying, but all of my games play no problem. So, what’s the issue? Also, do y’all realize how fucking insane the ergonomics on this one? It genuinely made me not look at any other device. Please let them take their time so we can get an even nicer device.
Didn’t Valve say it was gonna be quite a while until they release a Steam Deck 2?
They said they would wait until there was a meaningful increase in the power or efficiency they could get out of the form-factor.
The OG deck launched 3.5 years ago, and since then not much has changed. The steam deck GPU has 1.6 TFlop of FP32 compute at 15W. AMD’s newest low-power APUs have 2.3 TFlop of FP32 at 28W - nearly double the power for a <50% theoretical performance gain.
A semi-custom APU (that removes the useless AI engine) would compare more favorably, but we are still talking about maybe 20% more performance, not exactly game changing for the cost.
Yes, but that was awhile ago that they said it as well.
This feels about right. I have an OLED and I got it about 6mo after it came out. I’m rocking it most days, and it doesn’t feel End Of Life. But I could see maybe wanting a new one in a few years.
The Steam Deck is the minimum standard spec that games aim for to get the verified tag. Move it higher and people will have to upgrade everything.
Arguably the switch 2 will be the big indie target going forward, but thankfully it’s performance being so close to the Deck’s should keep the Deck relevant.
Good choice. As easy to forget as it is, that’ll be the 8th year of the PS5. Probably will benefit from similar supply chains as the rumored PS6/PS5 handheld and whatever MS does. Main shame to me is for people buying a Steam Deck and being stuck with regular sdxc microSD. microSD express or that Biwin mini SSD would be real nice
Honestly, for me I don’t really need a new steam deck. The OLED deck is almost perfect already. I don’t know that a ton more processing power is necessary for me. Whenever I’ve wanted to play a more demanding game on my deck I stream it from either my desktop gaming rig, my ps5, or from Geforce Now. (Though i know obviously not everyone is going to have those luxuries) The only thing I think I would REALLY want would be a WiFi chip that doesn’t shit the bed if it doesn’t like the router your using.
Yeah right. If a new steam deck comes out in two or three years, I’ll probably be about ready to upgrade. Right now my existing deck is great and does all I need it to. Best bit of tech I’ve bought in many years.
…who the hell thought it was anytime soon? they work on valve time. when they can shift a paradime they do, when it won’t they do something else
I don’t know who those “we” people are but benchmarks have repeatedly shown that in low wattage situations the performance difference between Deck and the newer handhelds is negligible, so this prediction is hardly a surprise IMO.
I am good with my 1st gen model. I ordered it day 1. It has a 2TB drive in it now. The only reason I want the latest model is for the improved repairability. There are only so many times I can disassemble a 1st gen Deck before the screws lose grip.
I already have a beefy gaming PC and would much rather get an updated steam deck, that sucks
Yeah despite being an enthusiast for years my appetite for PC gaming hardware BS is running out and I’d love a really good dockable handheld to daily drive as my main PC.
K, Steamdeck 1 is awesome now.
Take me with a massive grain of salt, but I know somebody who works with valve and had the oled prototype to work with before any rumor. She said that there’s nothing going on. Next one will take a while.
Maybe if they could make the steam deck 1 actually available in aus/nz first so we can actually purchase them instead of everyone just having nintendo switches idk just a thought
It’s been officially available in Australia since 2024. I don’t know about NZ though.
Til. Still not in NZ but might grab one next time I’m across the ditch
It will release with half life 3 😂
The only things I need from a new deck are ergonomic changes, larger display and better grips and buttons placement, specifically back buttons and shoulders/triggers. Not in a hurry though.
How would you change the ergonomics/button placement? I find everything pretty comfy where it is, but I have somewhat large hands.
The Deck shape is too square, I know this is for maintaining the smallest footprint, but for comfort it should be shaped more like a parallelogram with the sides pointing slightly outwards, like regular controllers are. For me the shape of the PS4 is perfect but if that is too much, then something more subtle like the 8BitDo ultimate, albeit no ideal, would do it.
Regarding the shoulder buttons the triggers are recessed compared to the shoulder buttons, this is this way because with a square shape is the only solution available. It’s the exact same layout as the Wii U tablet controller and makes it difficult to easily reach both the shoulder and trigger without cramping your hands. With a non square shape the top of the Deck could be more rounded and then have buttons layout similar to regular controllers.
As for the back buttons well, they are simply horrible, flat, shaped and positioned awkwardly (they are at a straight angle when they should be tilted slightly inwards), they are hard to press and uncomfortable for longer gaming sessions. Anything they do with these should be an improvement.
