With the Steam Deck OLED attributable to launch on November 16, it’s plainly apparent what Valve’s subsequent huge {hardware} frontier is, however this new handheld is only a refresh. What may be coming after it? On that entrance, Valve means that the Steam Deck 2 is fairly far out.

In a current interview with Axios, Valve’s {hardware} designer, Yazan Aldehayyat, mentioned that “[Valve thinks] {that a} Steam Deck 2.0 is important. Steam Deck OLED was mandatory. We really feel like there’s a highway map forward of us.” Certainly, the OLED model of the system would possibly successfully goal the exact same efficiency envelope because the baseline, however it does ship some key wins with a much bigger battery, a vastly improved show, and different quality-of-life boons. It too is simply the following step in what seems to be an extended journey for the corporate, nonetheless.

When is Steam Deck 2 popping out?

Valve’s designer, Lawrence Yang, mentioned “If we might have shipped [the Steam Deck OLED] initially, we’d have.” He defined that Valve thinks that is the “definitive first-generation Steam Deck,” however from Yang and Aldehayyat’s feedback, it’s pretty obvious that the corporate is already considering nicely forward. On the subject of the Steam Deck 2 or 2.0, Yang mentioned that Valve needs it to be a “era enhance,” which can’t be delivered at the moment.

“Within the subsequent two or three years,” continued Yang, “we’re assured that one thing will probably be what we’d take into account acceptable for a correct Steam Deck 2 system.”

That’s the timeline, then, for many who may be ready for a much bigger soar ahead within the {hardware}’s capabilities. Because it at the moment stands, it’s vital to spotlight that each the ASUS ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion GO are extra highly effective than the Steam Deck, simply to call just a few mainstream options. Because the OLED model of the Deck is roughly corresponding to the baseline, it gained’t outpace its opponents, although it’s a good bit cheaper in most territories, besides.

Axios’ interview reveals that Valve has already bought “a number of thousands and thousands” of Steam Decks, so it’s plainly apparent that the system itself is profitable. Whether or not it finally ends up having the ability to maintain its personal by the point 2027 or 2028 comes round, nonetheless, is a completely completely different matter.