What is the Steam Deck 2 release date? In a surprise move, Valve recently revealed and released the Steam Deck OLED, its refresh model that will serve as the flagship for years to come. So, what does this mean for the Steam Deck 2? Well, Valve has commented on this and it should leave fans happy.
Valve may have already released “the best handheld around” as we coined it in our Steam Deck review, but that doesn’t mean the company has been resting on its laurels. Just recently it launched the refreshed Steam Deck OLED and it’s also 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 2026, as Valve designer Lawrence Yang recently said “a true next-gen Deck with a significant bump in horsepower wouldn’t be for a few years.” That said, we may see a refresh of the original Steam Deck featuring improved battery life and a better display in the interim.
The quote above comes from an interview on Rock Paper Shotgun.
Most handheld enthusiasts likely already have a wishlist of features they’d like to see included in the company’s next system, and we reckon the Steam Deck 2 should be modular. That’s not to say Valve agrees, but it’d negate any need for multiple versions boasting different specs and traits.
More recently, following the Steam Deck OLED reveal, product designer Lawrence Yang again was interviewed, this time by Bloomberg, and was quoted as saying “We’re thinking about Steam Deck 2 at all times“. He went on to further clarify that a big leap in tech will need to present itself before major strides are made.
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 USD / £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 starting at $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 USD / £569 GBP 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. 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, an OLED or QD-OLED display would offer much greater color accuracy over the current IPS LCD panel, while also allowing Valve to significantly reduce the borders surrounding the screen.
Steam Deck 2 performance rumors
Until we get closer to its launch date, there won’t be any official or leaked Steam Deck 2 performance benchmarks to pour over. As such, we hope at the very least 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, as more Steam games’ compatibility levels should be documented.
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.