Valve has confirmed it is still working out "how and when" it can deliver a successor to the Steam Deck, following the recent launch of its 2026 hardware line-up, which includes the Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame. Speaking to IGN, Valve designer Pierre-Loup Griffais reiterated that a Steam Deck 2 will happen eventually, but only once the company finds a chip capable of delivering a genuine performance leap without sacrificing the battery life and efficiency that made the original handheld successful.

Griffais said the ongoing RAM shortage, dubbed "RAMageddon", which has already forced Valve to delay and reprice both the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, has not significantly changed the company's thinking on developing a Steam Deck 2. Valve's approach hinges on identifying the right chip first and building the device around its availability; candidates from Intel, AMD and Qualcomm are being watched, though Intel's Panther Lake chip, tested in the MSI Claw 8 EX AI Plus, is not yet considered the breakthrough Valve is after, and remains expensive.