The Steam Deck handheld gaming PC launched today, but Valve is already looking to the future and planning a Steam Deck 2.
As GamesRadar reports, the latest issue of Edge Magazine includes an interview with Valve co-founder Gabe Newell where he confirms Steam Deck 2 is already being thought about. In fact, sales of Steam Deck have both surprised and guided what Valve is planning for the second-gen handheld.
What surprised Valve most of all about Steam Deck was how the most expensive version ($649.99 with 512GB of storage) is the most popular. Newell explained in the interview:
"That's an example of us being a little surprised by what our customers are telling us ... They're basically saying, 'We would like an even more expensive version of this,' in terms of horsepower capabilities or whatever. You know, that's why we always love to get something out there and ship it. Because we learn a lot from that, and it helps frame our thinking for Deck 2."
A Steam Deck 2 won't appear for at least a couple of years, which means Valve can take advantage of the natural performance leaps made by chip manufacturers over time. However, being able to confidently set the price higher means even more performant components can be used, suggesting Steam Deck 2 will be one of, if not the most powerful handheld gaming devices ever released.
Newell also mentions virtual reality during the interview, pointing out, "One of the things [Steam Deck] represents is battery-capable, high-performance horsepower that eventually you could use in VR applications as well." Perhaps this means a future version of Valve's Index VR kit could rely on Steam Deck hardware to create a truly portable VR solution.