Valve has been very straightforward in saying that Steam Deck 2 is not a priority for them now. Recently, the company released a statement that illustrated its position clearly, talking about a successor being put on hold only because they don’t want to have a performance upgrade of the order of 20, 30, or even 50 percent. They have already set the stage for the coming of a new handheld PC that will be able to compete with the best and even make a massive leap in technology in terms of performance. This also means that the gamers who have been waiting for a more powerful Steam Deck will now have to wait even longer, as Valve is not planning to take small steps with its new product but rather to make a big leap ahead.
In other words, Valve practically announced that they would not be doing a gradual upgrade of the Steam Deck by just releasing a new version with a couple of better specs. They want to make a huge jump to the next generation. It will be a truly next-gen device and not just a bit faster than the current one. The whole scenario is quite bold, especially considering that the competition already has powerful chips, and the battle has really begun. But Valve remains firm in its decision, which turns out to be a wise strategy, even if it sounds like a question, since they are not under pressure anyway.
The reception from the gamers has been… mixed, to put it mildly. In a way, some people are fine with the delay. One user, Gerald, even joked, “We can wait, but we won’t be waiting for Steam Deck 3, lol.” That tweet really sings the tune of lots of people. They are satisfied with their present device. Another gamer, Kaywave, expressed his feelings saying, “I am very pleased with my deck at this time. It’s not a powerhouse but I still derive a lot of joy and satisfaction from being able to play goddamn GTA 5 on the go.” For many, the current Deck is doing the job and that is perhaps one of the reasons why Valve believes it can afford to wait.
On the other hand, there are users who argue that the current Steam Deck is not powerful enough. Ross the Boss said, “That’s cool but 50% would be a very nice upgrade. Steam Deck is weak as shit.” Ouch! That was a bit unpolished, to say the least! Definitely, there is a portion of the gaming community that is asking for greater power and they want it now. They see the ROG Ally being released, which is equipped with much better chips than the Steam Deck and they are left wondering why Valve is not keeping up with the trend.
This entire issue has raised the question of Valve’s strategic plans. Tubbymcwubby pointed out that, “Valve clearly said that they are not competing for the market of the new high-performance handheld PC and thus do not pose a threat to the top-end ROG Ally.” That is the reason why they want a chip that is efficient, cool, and powerful but they created or are buying custom chip designs. The peak performance is not the only thing Valve is after; pursuing that route is just a part of its entire philosophy of balance, in fact. They want a product that does not need a powerful electrical supply and a cooling case to operate quietly and smoothly, and that’s a big part of the Steam Deck’s appeal.
Next, the whole cost aspect came to consideration. A user named, Martynas commented in a thread about expensive chips that at the end of the day, “Yes, it’s the best, but the price makes it not worth it.” This is a very important factor. One of the greatest selling points of the Steam Deck compared to its competitors is the price. They will have to definitely raise the price all the way to the top if they decide to go for a high-end, super power-hungry processor, and not only that but also lose some of the customer attraction.
What? I’ve temporarily lost track of the issue… Oh. Yes, the custom chips. Looks like Valve is going to stick with the AMD designs totally. Tubbymcwubby also stated in a response to another thread, “They have never used a Z chip; the trend seems to always be that they are using a custom AMD chip.” So, don’t expect the next Deck to simply come with a standard laptop CPU. They are going to specifically make it for the handheld experience, which is smart but also means a longer development time.
Some community members brought up the latest OLED Steam Deck, for instance, Dubai Geek who said, “Last time they stated that they brought oled steam deck with 5 percent improvement.” He was right, the OLED edition was more like a refinement rather than a real successor. It had an improved screen and battery but the overall performance was pretty much identical.
