What is the Steam Deck 2 release date? Following the surprise announcement of the Steam Deck OLED in November 2023, expectations for a more substantial overhaul of the Steam Deck have been reset and pushed back. So, what does this mean for the Steam Deck 2? Well, Valve has commented on this and while there may be a long wait still, there’s still reason for Deck fans to be happy.
Valve may have already released the best handheld gaming pc as we coined it in our Steam Deck review, but that doesn’t mean the company has been resting on its laurels. We saw that with the refreshed Steam Deck OLED and the company has confirmed it’s also already hard at work putting together a Steam Deck 2. This isn’t too surprising given how many people are clearly interested in the Deck. Time will tell, however, how much of an upgrade it will offer and whether it can stand up to more powerful competitors.
Steam Deck 2 release date estimate
Our best estimate on the Steam Deck 2 release date is 2025 or later, as Valve designer Lawrence Yang recently said in an interview with Bloomberg that “a ‘next-generation’ power upgrade but won’t be available for at least two or three years.” This was said at the time of the Stem Deck OLED launch in November 2023. That said, we may see another refresh of the original Steam Deck before a true gen-2 device is launched.
Crucial, Yang also said that while “we’re thinking about Steam Deck 2 at all times“, a big leap in tech will need to present itself before major strides are made. In other words, while the likes of the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go already use a newer, much faster AMD chip than the Steam Deck, Valve may well be waiting for an even more powerful as yet announced chip before it feels the upgrade – and complexity in re-certifying all the Steam Deck compatible games – is worthwhile.
Most handheld enthusiasts likely already have a wishlist of features they’d like to see included in the company’s next system, such as our hopes that the Steam Deck 2 should be modular. That’s not to say Valve agrees, but it would negate any need for multiple versions boasting different specs and traits.
Valve may be keeping the finer details of what it’s cooking up in its Washington offices under strict lock and key. However, we do have some ideas of what to expect from the Steam Deck 2 compared to its current generation portable powerhouse. Let’s look at the Steam Deck 2 rumors.
Steam Deck 2 price estimate
Gabe Newell previously described hitting the $399 (£349) MSRP of Steam Deck’s base model as “painful”, so it’s possible that Steam Deck 2 could cost more, especially given that the price of materials needed to make PC components continues to rise. This is also more likely given the starting price of the Steam Deck OLED is $549, so we imagine a fully kitted and upgraded Steam Deck 2 is set to put a tight squeeze on wallets.
Speaking with Edge magazine, Newell shared that the Deck’s “most popular SKU is the most expensive one”. He says that the company is reading this concentrated demand as customers saying, “We would like an even more expensive version of this, in terms of horsepower capabilities or whatever.” So, we could see a premium version of Steam Deck 2 surpassing the existing $649 (£569) ceiling.
Steam Deck 2 specs rumors
There’s no official word or any substantial leaks surrounding Steam Deck 2 specs, but Valve has made some comments about what it would like to improve with future iterations of its handheld gaming PC.
In a recent interview, Valve says it wants Steam Deck 2 to feature better battery life and screen technology. Battery life could be much improved over the current Deck by increasing the battery capacity above 40Whr, which would help to address one of the core complaints about it.
Meanwhile, a move to a new-generation OLED display, such as Samsung’s latest QD-OLED, could offer improved brightness without impacting battery life. A move to a high resolution or slightly large screen would also be welcomed by many users.
Steam Deck 2 performance rumors
With its expected launch date so far off, there understandably isn’t yet anything in the way of official or leaked Steam Deck 2 performance benchmarks to pour over. Instead, it’s merely the case that we’d hope to see Valve make improvements to battery life and gaming performance compared to the current deck.
Either way, playing videogames on a Steam Deck 2 should require less guesswork than on the current versions, as the list of compatible games grows ever larger. Plus, there should be more headroom in the new device for games that struggle to run well on the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED to be playable on a Steam Deck 2.
If you can’t wait for Steam Deck 2 to release and want to get more from the first-gen console, check out the best Steam Deck accessories and grab yourself a Steam Deck Dock so that you can hook your handheld up to a gaming monitor.