Valve recently confirmed that the Steam Controller will be released next month. On top of that, the company is currently working towards the release of two other pieces of hardware: the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, both due this year. However, amidst all this, Steam Deck users may still be wondering if they’ll get a sequel anytime soon. Well, Valve has finally shared an update.

In a recent interview with IGN, Valve programmer Pierre-Loup Griffais confirmed that the company is “hard at work” on the Steam Deck 2. While that sounds promising, he also made it clear that there’s still no release date or detailed information to share right now. So yes, the device is in development, but it’s not coming anytime soon.

Steam Deck 2 is still in development, but there’s no release date yet

“We’re hard at work on it. And obviously every step of the way, if you look at our hardware projects over the years, you can draw a straight line from the original Steam Controller and Steam Machine to Steam Deck, to everything that we’re announcing and shipping this year. And we expect Steam Deck 2 will be a lot of the same where a lot of what we’re doing here will be learnings that build up to it.”

Pierre-Loup Griffais, SteamOS & Steam Deck developer at Valve

The main reason for the wait is actually quite simple. Valve doesn’t want to release a small upgrade. Griffais previously told IGN that the company is aiming for a major leap in performance, not just a 20% or 30% boost. They want the next version to feel like a true next-gen handheld, and right now, the hardware just isn’t there yet.

In other words, the current chips on the market don’t meet Valve’s expectations. The company is waiting for better technology that can deliver higher performance without hurting battery life. A leaker also previously mentioned that the sequel getting delayed would only result in better hardware.

For now, Valve seems to be focusing on other areas. The company is always improving SteamOS and Proton, which already help games run better on the current Steam Deck. These improvements will likely benefit the Steam Deck 2 when it eventually arrives. There are also rumors that Valve might use a different approach this time. Instead of a custom chip, the next handheld could use an off-the-shelf APU, giving the company more flexibility with performance and pricing. However, nothing is confirmed yet.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.