Valve is still figuring out ‘how and when’ to do Steam Deck 2 | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchLightSystemDarkTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Valve is still figuring out ‘how and when’ to do Steam Deck 2NotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...GamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingGadgetsCloseGadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GadgetsNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsValve is still figuring out ‘how and when’ to do Steam Deck 2Don’t expect a Steam Deck sequel soon.Don’t expect a Steam Deck sequel soon.by Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterSep 15, 2026, 12:13 AM UTCLinkShareGiftPhoto: Vjeran Pavic / The VergePart OfSteam Deck, ROG Ally, and more: all the news about the handheld PC gaming revolutionsee all updates Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean Hollister is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.Now that Valve has finally launched its entire 2026 hardware lineup — the Steam Controller, the Steam Machine, and today’s Steam Frame — are we any closer to a next-gen Steam Deck handheld? Valve isn’t saying so yet. The company is figuring out “how and when we can deliver something like that,” Valve designer Pierre-Loup Griffais now tells IGN.Valve has been clear for years that 1) a Steam Deck 2 will indeed happen, and 2) it’s not coming until Valve finds the right chip. The original Steam Deck worked because it delivered the right combination of price, performance, and battery life, and Valve has repeatedly said it won’t sacrifice efficiency in the sequel.“We also don’t want more performance to come at a significant cost to power efficiency and battery life,” Griffais told me in 2023, saying he wanted to see a “leap” instead — but suggesting that leap might not be physically possible for another couple of years.RelatedOur Steam Frame reviewValve describes just how brutal RAM negotiations are in 2026The golden age of handheld gaming is already overEarlier this year, Valve got my hopes up that the wait for a chip was over — when Griffais revealed the team was “hard at work” on the next Steam Deck gaming handheld in an interview with IGN. He wouldn’t say when it might happen. I assumed that was caution, because RAMageddon had already pushed the company to delay and reprice the Steam Machine and Steam Frame headset by then.Today, IGN’s new question was: “Has the current hardware shortage impacted the way Valve is thinking about actually putting a Steam Deck 2 into development?” Griffais’ immediate answer was “Not really.”That could be good news for impatient gamers — or it could mean that the company will wait out RAMageddon before it dares intercept the silicon supply chain again. Valve originally wanted to build a “far more affordable” headset, for instance, but instead it faced brutal RAM negotiations to eventually arrive at a $1,059 pricetag.The real question is: has Valve yet identified the future chip that will appear in the Steam Deck 2? Because the company will work backwards from that chip’s availability to create the hardware it lives within.Intel’s Panther Lake handheld chip in the MSI Claw 8 EX AI Plus is the first I’ve tried that comes close to the kind of “generational leap” that Griffais has been talking about, but Panther Lake handhelds are incredibly expensive, and the Intel chip wasn’t a silver bullet in my tests. But I bet Valve has seen the future of Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm chips, and maybe a future one will do the trick.I hope a Steam Deck 2 will kickstart a new golden age of handheld gaming; I fear it may cost too much for that.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterGadgetsCloseGadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GadgetsGamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPC GamingClosePC GamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PC GamingMore in: Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and more: all the news about the handheld PC gaming revolutionAcer’s new concept hardware is a gaming handheld with a keyboardDominic PrestonSep 2A smaller Atlas handheld.Dominic PrestonSep 2See SNES carts in an Xbox Ally and Doom on a Canon PowerShot, hear hot handheld news.Sean HollisterAug 29Most PopularMost PopularApple releases iOS 27 with Siri AI overhaulYour car is selling your dataThe Steam Frame is made for irresponsible hardware nerds like meLG responds to TV spying allegationsWaymo pulls over, calls cops on riders with a ghost gunThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adMore in GamingValve’s virtual reality plans hit actual realityThe best deals from Nintendo’s ‘customer appreciation’ saleI reviewed Valve’s Steam Frame, ask me anythingValve has ported Half-Life: Alyx to ARM, and it’s free with Steam FrameValve’s Steam Frame costs $1,0595Verge ScoreThe Steam Frame is made for irresponsible hardware nerds like meValve’s virtual reality plans hit actual realitySean HollisterSep 14The best deals from Nintendo’s ‘customer appreciation’ saleBrad BourqueSep 14I reviewed Valve’s Steam Frame, ask me anythingSean HollisterSep 14Valve has ported Half-Life: Alyx to ARM, and it’s free with Steam FrameSean HollisterSep 14Valve’s Steam Frame costs $1,059Jay PetersSep 14The Steam Frame is made for irresponsible hardware nerds like meSean HollisterSep 14Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adTop StoriesAn hour agoIs Big Tech’s AI slowdown a safety pact or a cartel?Sep 14What execs and politicians are saying about slowing down AI developmentSep 14The Dell XPS 13 is the first real competitor to the MacBook NeoSep 14The Steam Frame is made for irresponsible hardware nerds like meSep 14What happens after a town de-FlocksThe VergeThe Verge logo.FacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSContactTip UsCommunity GuidelinesArchivesAboutEthics StatementHow We Rate and Review ProductsCookie SettingsTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyYour California Privacy RightsYour Privacy ChoicesCookie NoticeAdChoicesLicensing FAQAccessibilityPlatform StatusPenske Media CorporationThe Verge is a part of PMX Global, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation.© 2026 VM Publishing, LLC. 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Valve is currently unsure about the timeline and methodology for developing a Steam Deck 2, deliberately withholding definitive statements about when a sequel will be released. Valve designer Pierre-Loup Griffais has indicated that the eventual creation of the Steam Deck 2 is contingent upon the company finding the appropriate chip. The original Steam Deck achieved its success by balancing price, performance, and battery life, and Valve has maintained that efficiency must not be compromised in any successor. Griffais suggested that while the goal was to achieve a significant performance leap, such a leap may not be physically attainable within the near future.

The delay and uncertainty stem partially from the challenges surrounding hardware. Valve faced significant negotiation difficulties concerning RAM during the development of previous hardware, which impacted decisions regarding pricing, such as the Steam Machine and Steam Frame headset. Although the current hardware shortage has not directly altered Valve's strategy regarding the Steam Deck 2 development, the broader context of the silicon supply chain remains a critical factor for Valve. The fundamental unanswered question remains whether Valve has identified the future chip architecture that will power the next generation of handheld gaming devices.

The exploration of potential processor options involves considering technologies from Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm, although the text notes that current examples, such as the Intel Panther Lake chip used in the MSI Claw 8 EX AI Plus, did not provide a definitive "generational leap." The ultimate realization of a Steam Deck 2 hinges on the availability and suitability of this next-generation silicon. The expectation is that the next handheld generation will be determined by this foundational hardware choice, leading to a potential shift in the landscape of handheld PC gaming, though the potential cost associated with such a leap is also considered a factor.