Valve Corporation is currently targeting a 2028 release window for the Steam Deck 2, though the ongoing RAM/NAND shortage may lead to a delay, claims insider.
Known hardware insider KeplerL2 took to the gaming enthusiast NeoGAF forums to respond to a fellow member who asked about the expected release window for the Steam Deck 2. In response, the insider claimed that the Steam Deck successor is targeting a 2028 launch as far as they’re aware, though the RAM/NAND situation may result in a delay. They added that, since Valve Corporation doen’t have a semi-custom SoC in development, unlike the PS6 and Xbox Helix, if its next handheld PC gets delayed, it could end up with better specs. “They were targeting 2028 AFAIK, but the whole RAM/NAND situation could delay it,” they said. “Also since they don’t have a semi-custom SoC, unlike the PS6/Xbox if it gets delayed it could end up with better specs.”
Regarding the possibility of the Steam Deck 2’s alleged quad-core Zen 6c CPU being able to last an entire 7 years and run all next-gen-only games, some of which may be CPU-intensive, the insider mentioned that it is a little weaker than the PS5 CPU, so it should be able to run next-gen-only titles at 30 fps. They added that they expect the cross-gen period to last throughout the entire PS6/Xbox Helix generation. As such, anything that runs on PS5 will also run on the Steam Deck 2. “At 30 FPS sure, it’s a little weaker than the PS5 CPU and I expect cross-gen to last pretty much the entire next generation, so anything that runs on PS5 will run on Canis as well,” they said.
Regarding next-gen only games, the insider stated that it depends on how Sony Interactive Entertainment handles support for the PlayStation handheld. If it is mandatory, developers won’t push for CPU-intensive design elements like large NPC crowds or advanced physics. On the flip side, if the console maker doesn’t mandate support, some late-gen titles could end up skipping the PlayStation handheld.
