First of all, it doesn’t look like there is going to be a Steam Deck 2 anytime soon, especially with Valve confirming that it wants a significant ‘generational leap’ before it commits to a sequel. Recent rumors and speculation point towards a new and improved version of the custom APU that powers the Deck, but that has now been shut down directly by Valve.

A few days ago, we reported that the Steam Deck could be getting a faster processor due to an ‘Aerith Plus’ being spotted in online shipping listings. For the uninformed, the popular handheld runs on a custom AMD APU named ‘Aerith’ (yes, named after the Final Fantasy character).

No, the Steam Deck won’t be getting a faster ‘Aerith Plus’ processor

Pierre-Loup Griffais is a Valve coder “currently working on [the] Steam Deck” and based on what we’ve seen, the main guy to go to for Deck development news. He was recently at CES 2025 discussing the future of the device alongside plans for SteamOS. We may even see the Steam Machine revived in the future as the Linux-based operating system expands outside of the Deck, but again, that remains speculation on our part.

Griffais is no stranger to shutting down Steam Deck speculation, previously shutting down a rumor that there could be a model featuring AMD’s newest Ryzen Z2 chip.

Responding directly to our article on the rumor, Griffais confirms that a faster Steam Deck with the sighted ‘Plus’ processor is “Not happening” and we don’t expect that change following this swift shutdown. He hadn’t nothing more to say on the matter, and the prospect of a model refresh continues to be unlikely.

We think Valve is right to wait for a Steam Deck ‘generational leap’ – even if it risks falling behind the competition to a certain extent. Despite newer handhelds with faster hardware hitting the market (the ASUS ROG Ally X immediately springs to mind), the device that kicked off the PC handheld revolution, Valve’s Steam Deck, continues to be a popular choice. According to a recent poll we ran, performance is the number one request for the sequel, so it makes sense to ensure it’s a big improvement.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.