Valve’s new hardware looks like the real deal, but the latest Steam Deck 2 update is a let-down

After months of anticipation, Valve has finally revealed its latest hardware lineup. There’s the Steam Frame, a new VR headset; the Steam Machine, Valve’s take on the home console; and a follow-up to the original Steam Controller. You might notice there’s something missing from that list, though. Yes, we’re still not getting the Steam Deck 2 just yet, but the company behind the handheld has at least offered an update as to why.

In a new interview with IGN, Pierre-Loup Griffais, the Valve software engineer, said, “Obviously the Steam Deck’s not our focus today, but the same things we’ve said in the past where we’re really interested to work on what’s next for Steam Deck… the thing we’re making sure of is that it’s a worthwhile enough performance upgrade to make sense as a standalone product,” before continuing.

“We’re not interested in getting to a point where it’s 20 or 30 or even 50% more performance at the same battery life. We want something a little bit more demarcated than that. So we’ve been working back from silicon advancements and architectural improvements, and I think we have a pretty good idea of what the next version of Steam Deck is going to be, but right now there’s no offerings in that landscape, in the SoC landscape, that we think would truly be a next-gen performance Steam Deck.”

What that means in simple terms is that while Valve is thinking about the Steam Deck 2, it doesn’t think that the hardware currently available is capable of the generational leap it’s looking for. For those of us desperate for a follow-up to the handheld gaming PC, it’s a little disappointing, as the Steam Deck isn’t quite as capable as it used to be when running the latest games, especially compared to some of the newer Steam Deck alternatives on the market.

However, Valve’s reasoning for holding off on the Steam Deck 2 does make sense. The brand currently has a lot of good faith with fans, and releasing a handheld that doesn’t feel like a true upgrade could tarnish that feeling. That’s providing that the new Valve hardware doesn’t disappoint, but given the coverage we’ve seen so far of those lucky enough to try it out before the big reveal, that doesn’t seem likely.

While the Steam Deck OLED might show some signs of aging, it’s still a top pick from our guide to the best handheld consoles, which also suggests Valve might be right in holding off on a follow-up for now. With that in mind, we’ll be keeping a close eye on any developments from Valve, as well as its hardware collaborator AMD, in the coming months for any more updates. Don’t hold your breath, though.