- One Valve engineer noted that Steam Deck 2 is still a long way off
- We’re told that no segment is strong enough to do the sequel justice
- However, Valve has a “pretty good idea of what the next version of the Steam Deck will be like.”
It’s been all the talk of a new Steam Machine ever since Valve revealed its plans to revive the machine, but Steam Deck 2 has also been mentioned amid said chatter – although we’re told the time is still not right for a portable sequel.
That’s what we heard from Valve software engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais (who works on SteamOS) at Interview with IGN Which was mostly focused on the steam machine.
However, when IGN mentioned the Steam Deck and how it’s “getting a little older,” and whether there could be any plans for an upgraded portable device, Griffais echoed previous sentiments that we haven’t yet reached a point where upgrading the internal components would make enough of a difference for a potential Steam Deck 2.
“We’re not interested in getting to a point where performance is 20, 30, or even 50 percent better,” Griffis noted. [than the existing Steam Deck] The same battery life. We want something a little more specific than that.
“We’ve been working on silicon development and architectural improvements, and I think we have a pretty good idea of what the next version of Steam Deck will be, but right now there are no offerings in this landscape, in the SoC landscape, that we believe will truly be the next-gen Steam Deck performance.”
In short, while there may be some powerful new SMEs – system on chips, i.e. integrated processors and graphics solutions – on the market, they are not vibrant enough at the moment. Valve wants a more powerful mobile chipset for Steam Deck 2.
Analysis: It’s all about the software, really
Let’s face it: Valve now has new hardware to focus on, with a big push to take over life via Steam’s reborn hardware. This will certainly be the near-term focus – but in many ways, software is really key for Valve.
The reason Valve believes the Steam Machine will work now – when the first version failed at the end of the last decade, you remember – is that SteamOS and Linux game compatibility (via the Proton translation layer), is in a much better place than it was about 10 years ago when the original Steam Machine officially launched.
And Valve needs to keep moving forward with SteamOS, and gaming compatibility in general, as a priority, because that’s key to the future of luring PC gamers away from Windows 11. Good hardware is important, of course, but moves on the software front are actually vital, which is actually a big part of the reason why the Steam Machine is getting another crack in the whip now, with the hardware likely to be a success.
For those scoffing at the hardware specs of the second-gen Steam Machine, well, yeah – those aren’t the best gaming specs ever, by any means. However, remember that there are other, more powerful mini PCs out there – and there’s nothing stopping avid gamers from buying one of these and installing SteamOS on it. Valve wins in this scenario too, because it still drives SteamOS adoption and game purchases on Steam. (This gives us hope that Valve won’t push too hard on Steam Machine pricing either.)
Rising game sales will be the ultimate financial reward for Valve here, not profits on hardware sales, which is another reason why Steam Deck 2 may be a long way off. Especially with the development of Steam Machine in mind, why should it be a priority to publish a sequel to Steam Deck until the original hardware starts to creak and show its age? Also keep in mind that it’s nice for players to be able to purchase a console without it feeling outdated because the sequel will be released relatively soon after.
I think Valve has adopted a smart strategy here, and one that may worry Microsoft – there’s no shortage of gamers looking to ditch Windows 11, and while there’s no realistic alternative for many people yet, that may not be the case for much longer as work on SteamOS and Proton moves forward.
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