At present, Valve formally opened up registrations for its upcoming digital actuality headset, the Steam Body. The dear $1,000+ gadget is only one of three new items of online game {hardware} Valve will launch in 2026. And all of this kicked off with Valve’s profitable Steam Deck, a handheld PC that many followers desire a new model of within the close to future. In response to Valve, the Steam Deck 2 continues to be on the best way, and the continuing RAMageddon hasn’t actually derailed its plans.
Throughout an interview with IGN, ostensibly in regards to the Steam Body, Valve developer Pierre-Loup Griffais was requested about Steam Deck 2, which shall be a extra highly effective next-generation model of the corporate’s extremely common and influential transportable PC. Particularly, he was requested whether or not the continuing RAM disaster, which has led to shortages and tech costs rising, has delayed the Steam Deck 2 or thrown a wrench in Valve’s plans for it.
“Probably not,” mentioned Griffais. “We’ve talked earlier than about how we need to ensure there’s a really delineated efficiency enchancment for one thing like a future Steam Deck, and I feel we’re nonetheless taking a look at it in the identical method. It’s only a matter of wanting on the present circumstances and seeing how and after we can ship one thing like that.”
“However from what we’re engaged on, so far as the person expertise goes and what the product that we’re attempting to construct goes, it’s very related objectives.”
The Steam Deck 2 saga continues
Valve has been open for a couple of years now about its plans to make and launch a Steam Deck successor in some unspecified time in the future. “We actually do need to look ahead to a generational leap in compute with out sacrificing battery life earlier than we ship the true second era of Steam Deck,” the corporate mentioned again in 2024. And earlier this 12 months, rumors have been flying round that Valve was aiming to get the Steam Deck 2 out someday in 2028.
Whereas Valve claims that the RAM disaster hasn’t modified its plans for the Steam Deck 2, the corporate did inform IGN that elevated costs on gadgets just like the OG Steam Deck and Steam Machine probably have had some affect on what number of units it’s promoting, although it’s not completely clear how huge of an affect.
“It’s somewhat arduous to say as a result of we’re nonetheless engaged on getting the entire launch amount by way of, however in follow, I imply I feel value for certain impacts demand,” mentioned Griffais. “We’ll have to observe how issues are going, however we’re fairly comfy with the truth that all these merchandise are trending equally to different merchandise out there.”