Valve is working on Steam Deck 2, but the company says it will not ship until it finds a system-on-chip with enough performance headroom for a meaningful upgrade over the original handheld. Pierre-Loup Griffais said Valve is "hard at work" on the device and that the company has "a pretty good idea" of its direction, but added that current SoC options do not yet meet the bar for a next-gen Steam Deck. [1, 2]
Griffais framed the handheld as the latest step in Valve's hardware line, saying the company can draw "a straight line" from the Steam Controller and Steam Machine to Steam Deck and the products it is shipping this year. He said Steam Deck 2 will likely follow the same pattern, with lessons from current hardware feeding into the next version. [1]
Valve's newer Steam Controller already points to some of the input tech the company may carry forward. The controller includes TMR thumbsticks and Grip Sense sensors, and Valve engineer Steve Cardinali said the team would like to reuse the thumbstick design if it proves successful. He also said the company is keen to see how players use Grip Sense beyond gyro aiming. [1, 3]
The hardware plan comes as Valve grapples with a separate supply problem. Global RAM shortages are pressuring Steam Deck stock and slowing other hardware projects, including Steam Machine and Frame. Griffais said Valve is working with multiple manufacturers to keep options open and stabilize supply. [1, 2]
Valve has not given a release date for Steam Deck 2. For now, the company says the key step is finding the right silicon, while it keeps working with suppliers to protect availability of the current Steam Deck line. [1, 2]
