The Steam Deck brings console gaming in a portable form factor. Unlike the Nintendo Switch, it can handle modern AAA games at higher settings and frame rates, and its compatibility with Steam makes it a compelling purchase.
Valve’s newfound success in the gaming market has also led to speculation about a new revision with improved hardware. However, Valve has clarified that there will be no successor to the Steam Deck for at least the next couple of years.
Why it matters: While the Steam Deck is no slouch, it can struggle in some games. The handheld form factor and older AMD hardware have begun to show their limits in the most cutting-edge AAA games.
LIVE from the Tokyo Game Show – the power of PC gaming, in your hand. We spoke to one of the brainchilds of the Steam Deck, Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais on the challenges, as games get bigger.@willkoulouris @Valvesoftware @Plagman2 #TGS2023 @CapcomUSA_ @Capcomasia @OnDeck pic.twitter.com/Adz34dMqf3
— CNBC's Street Signs (@StreetSignsCNBC) September 21, 2023
Speaking to CNBC at TGS 2023, Pierre-Lou Griffais from Valve asserted that Steam Deck is performing well for the current gaming generation, meeting the company’s expectations. He said:
“We’re looking at this performance target that we have as a stable target for a couple of years.”
Meanwhile, he discussed future development, saying that Valve is working with developers on future releases and taking feedback into consideration. Speaking to The Verge, he pointed to a rough release window for a hardware jump.
According to the coder, the Steam Deck successor may not arrive before late 2025 since Valve is aiming for a massive leap with new hardware. This is the same approach console manufacturers like Sony and Microsoft have taken.
Valve is focused on ensuring a fixed level of hardware for the convenience of developers and gamers. This makes the task of creating new Steam Deck hardware a daunting one.
Pierre-Lou Griffais also explained that the company does not want to sacrifice battery life and efficiency for a more powerful device. Elaborating on the performance target for the Steam Deck successor, he said:
“I don’t anticipate such a leap to be possible in the next couple of years.”
The Steam Deck supports over 9000 games from the current Steam library. Valve has steadily improved support for the device, making it the leading handheld system behind the Nintendo Switch in 2023.
The gaming giant remains committed to supporting its successful venture into handheld gaming, monitoring any opportunities presented to enhance the ecosystem further. However, new hardware does not appear to be feasible for the company right now.
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