While the Steam Deck has set the trend for portable PC-style gaming handhelds, there is some stiff competition aiming to make waves. The ASUS ROG Ally released recently and the Lenovo Legion GO is on the horizon. As such, Valve needs to keep ahead of the game, but a new iteration of the Deck may be some time off.
According to a report from The Verge, Valve’s own Pierre-Loup Griffais told the publication that he doesn’t anticipate a leap in performance that won’t compromise on battery life for “the next couple of years.”
This suggests that a Steam Deck 2 may not be on the horizon for some time. Indeed, Griffais, speaking to CNBC at the Tokyo Game Show, said the company is looking at a “stable target” over the next two years, suggesting that the team may not be looking to pursue a newer, more advanced model just yet.
How will Valve keep up with the market?
We know that the Half-Life developer is considering a follow-up to its popular Steam Deck device. However, Griffais’ words make it seem like there won’t be one on the market for the foreseeable future.
A lot can happen in terms of technological leaps in a couple of years. How will Valve hope to retain its position in the mobile gaming world if it’s not looking at a new model just yet?
The report from The Verge speculates that a refresh of the Steam Deck could be a possible go-between. With the Nintendo Switch and graphics cards getting refreshed mid-generation, we could see something similar happen to the Deck, but it may not be one with more processing power or better hardware overall.
Of course, that’s all just speculation. You never know what can happen in this industry and as competition heats up in the market, Valve will likely be keeping a close eye on how the technology advances.
