Valve: Steam Deck 2 Waits on the Right Chip — SkimNews
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- Pierre-Loup Griffais told IGN Valve is still figuring out "how and when" to deliver a Steam Deck 2, declining to offer any timeline for the handheld successor.
- Valve has confirmed a Steam Deck sequel will happen but won't release until the company finds a chip that delivers the right combination of price, performance, and battery life.
- Griffais said in a 2023 interview that Valve wants a "leap" in efficiency rather than more performance at a significant cost to power efficiency and battery life.
- Valve completed its 2026 hardware lineup this week with the launch of the Steam Frame headset, following the earlier Steam Controller and Steam Machine releases.
- RAMageddon (the RAM shortage) already forced Valve to delay and reprice the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, with the headset landing at $1,059 despite Valve's original goal of building a "far more affordable" device.
- Griffais said the current hardware shortage hasn't really changed how Valve is thinking about putting a Steam Deck 2 into development.
Why it matters: With Valve's 2026 hardware lineup complete, the Steam Deck 2 is the lone major gap in the company's plans, and the $1,059 Steam Frame headset — originally meant to be far more affordable — shows how RAM costs have already forced Valve to abandon its own pricing targets, a component-cost squeeze a Steam Deck 2 will inherit when it eventually ships.
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