Rumors and conjecture around the release date of Steam Deck 2
Given the continued popularity of Valve's first portable system, many of you are asking when the Steam Deck 2 will be released. We have all the most recent information in this guide, including insider statements, Steam Deck 2 release date speculations, and a few leaks and rumors tossed in for good measure.
Allow us to tell you everything about the top Resident Evil games, Mario games, Zelda games, FNAF games, and horror games that you can play on the hybrid console in order to avoid being too disloyal to Nintendo, as much as we adore the business and its Switch. If the Steam Deck isn't up to your taste, check out the options on our list of the top portable gaming consoles.
Moving on to more urgent issues, is there a release date for the Steam Deck 2?
Conjectured release date for Steam Deck 2
As of this writing, Valve has not yet announced the official release date for the Steam Deck 2, nor has it provided any clue as to when it would do so. That doesn't stop us from guessing, however, since we can put together statements from Valve insiders, rumors, and possible leaks to determine when the Steam Deck 2 could release.Lead designer at Valve, Lawrence Lang, provided some insight into when the next version of the Steam Deck would be released in an interview with Rock Paper Shotgun. He states that "a true next-gen Deck with a significant bump in horsepower wouldn't be for a few years," which is bad news for all of you PC gamers out there. It is quite unlikely that the sequel will release in 2024 unless Valve makes a significant shift in strategy.
Further information on the anticipated release date of Steam Deck 2 may be found in a September 2023 interview that Pierre-Loup Griffais, a Valve employee, gave to The Verge. Griffais said to The Verge that he doesn't "anticipate such a leap to be possible in the next couple of years" and that a follow-up is unlikely unless the developer can enhance performance without a "significant cost to power efficiency and battery life." In light of this, the earliest feasible delivery date for the Steam Deck 2 may be 2025 or 2026.
Prior to the Steam Deck OLED's November 2023 release, those two quotations were made. When comparing this portable device to the Nintendo Switch, it is important to note that the Switch OLED debuted in 2021, and despite speculations to the contrary, a successor system has yet to be shown, maybe for 2024. Though this is just conjecture, the launch of an OLED version seems to push back any potential release date for the Steam Deck 2, with the upgraded model outlasting the original for consumers seeking sharper display and longer battery life.
As of this writing, which is five months into 2024, neither Valve nor any internet rumors or leaks have revealed any fresh information on a Steam Deck replacement. But as of April 2024, it seems a Lenovo Legion Go sequel is in the works, according to our sister site PCGN. Yes, we get it's a whole different platform, but we also believe it's reasonable to presume that, given Lenovo's commitment to the portable PC's future, Valve is most likely following suit.
Price speculating for Steam Deck 2
Although estimating the price of something we don't know much about is a difficult task, we continue to do it. But before we estimate, it's important to reject the Steam Deck price model as it is right now:
- $399 (£349) for the 256GB LCD model
- $549 (£479) for the 512GB OLED model
- $649 (£569) for the 1TB OLED model
If Valve continues on this path, you should be able to add an additional $100 to each of those models given those pricing points and the inevitable rise in technological quality. Regretfully, we're not likely to find out the price until Valve confirms the release date of the Steam Deck 2, so stay tuned to this page for the most recent information.
Rumors about the Steam Deck 2's features and display
When the Steam Deck 2 is out, we hope to see a significant increase in the refresh rate display. As several current gaming phones and the ASUS Rog Ally X both offer 120Hz, we believe it's reasonable to anticipate that Valve would wish to equal or even surpass its rivals' 90Hz limit on the Steam Deck OLED.
Valve will need to improve its Steam Deck specs to compete with some of the rivals if it is to keep its position at the top of the expanding field of portable PC gaming consoles. The talented group of engineers behind the original and OLED Steam Decks will determine precisely how it does it.
Since numerous commentators have praised Valve for the ergonomic design of the original Steam Deck, we don't anticipate any significant modifications to the general design. Quotes from Valve employees working on the Steam Deck 2 appear to indicate that although there may be some changes made to the initial construction, their main focus is on enhancing the internals and therefore the performance of the successor console.
That concludes the rumors, insider remarks, and conjecture about the release date of Steam Deck 2. Why not check out our selection of the top vintage handheld devices while you're here to satisfy your nostalgia?