Feeling impatient about the console? Don’t worry, today we’re going through the hottest Steam Deck 2 rumours and we’ll find out if we can put our hands on it anytime soon.
With the original Steam Deck launch, Valve has proven that its debut unit is definitely one of the best handheld game consoles ever to exist. But that begs the question, will there be a Steam Deck 2? We’ve compiled some rumours about the potential release date, including price speculations, technical specifications and many more. Read more below to find out when can we expect to see the Steam Deck 2 and how much will it cost together with its capabilities.
Steam Deck 2 release date rumours
We want to start with this: we really shouldn’t anticipate the release date for the follow-up Steam Deck to occur any time soon given how recently the first one arrived on the market. This does not rule out the possibility of improved versions of the current Deck appearing in the near future, comparable to how Nintendo updated their Switch lineup with the OLED model. However, Steam Deck 2 is confirmed in the Steam Deck Booklet, as it is being called a multi-generational console.
You can find out more here, where Liam Dawe of Gamingonlinux posted the last page of the booklet. We will surely have a Steam Deck 2 but without any confirmed release date. With this in mind, let’s see when can we expect to see it hitting the stores.
Already being out for one year, by every logical metric, the Steam Deck had a successful starting year, and in case you were wondering, it isn’t in danger of being replaced by a new model either. Despite the popularity of the Steam Deck, and because it “has made us even more excited to look closely at what can be improved”, according to Lawrence Yang in an interview for RockPaperShotgun’s site, he claims that “a true next-gen Deck with a significant bump in horsepower wouldn’t be for a few years”. So, when will Steam Deck 2 come out? This means that if we want to see an improved console with greater specs, including an OLED screen, we might need to wait for a few years. This is also confirmed on Tom’s Hardware site. That being said, let’s see the rumours for the specs.
Steam Deck 2 specs
The Steam Deck currently uses an AMD SoC with RDNA2 graphics that is based on Zen 2 CPUs. Zen 3, or perhaps Zen 4, might be integrated with RDNA3 visuals in a newer version of the Steam Deck. We can also expect to see a bigger battery and a better screen. We would still want to see a substantial spec increase overall. Also, as flash storage becomes more affordable, the Steam Deck 2 might consider enhancing its internal storage.
Screen technology may also advance, and we’d love to see a screen that supports varying refresh rates. Now, hear me out: Steam Deck OLED. That is the one thing fans really desire. This was also recently debated on PCGamer’s site, with an official answer from Pierre-Loup Griffais:
“We also want it to be better. We’re looking at all avenues”. He also says that despite this looking like something that can be done with ease, it is exactly the opposite: “I think people are looking at things like an incremental version and assume that it’s an easy drop-in […] But in reality, the screen’s at the core of the device. Everything is anchored to it. Basically, everything is architected around everything when you’re talking about a device that small. I think it would be a bigger amount of work than people are assuming it would be. […] I don’t think we’re discounting anything. But the idea that you could just swap in a new screen and be done—it would need more than that to be doable”.
With this in mind, we can rest assured that it might take some time until we can see the Steam Deck 2 hitting the store, especially if it will rock an OLED screen. However, in the same article, we saw a cute mention of VibrantDeck, a cool Steam Deck plugin that helps with screen saturation.
What other potential improvements can Steam Deck 2 get over the existing ones? Well, Gabe Newell said that one thing Valve is considering is giving the platform VR support. Although the current Steam Deck is unable to do this kind of thing, Newell thinks a follow-up model would enable customers to link their virtual reality devices to the system and play games that utilize VR.
Steam Deck 2 price
Thanks to PCGamesN with their article here, we know that Gabe Newell, the head of Valve, explicitly said in an older interview with Edge magazine that the company is going to create Steam Deck 2. He continued by saying that Valve’s initial significant concern about the Steam Deck was that it would be expensive. However, buyers haven’t had any problems with the console’s pricing point so far.
In his exact words, Gabe Newell said: “We thought the entry price was going to be the critical factor, but it turns out that far and away the most popular SKU is the most expensive one […] That’s an example of us being a little surprised by what our customers are telling us. They’re basically saying, ‘We would like an even more expensive version of this’, in terms of horsepower capabilities or whatever. You know, that’s why we always love to get something out there and ship it. Because we learn a lot from that, and it helps frame our thinking for Steam Deck 2.”
With the above prices in our mind, and what Gabe said, we can expect the prices for Steam Deck 2 to start at around $450 and reach $800 for the most expensive model.
That being said, we can’t wait to see what the future will bring us and how will the Steam Deck 2 look like and what’s to be found under its hood. Until then, you can check our list of the best Steam Deck games to keep you hooked on your handheld console.
