While the Steam Deck just hit the market, Valve already has its sights set on building a Steam Deck 2, according to company President Gabe Newell. Valve announced its Steam Deck device last summer, promising PC players a way in which to take much of their Steam library on the go. The Nintendo Switch-like handheld comes in three different models, with the base version boasting a $400 price tag for 64GB of eMMC storage. Meanwhile, Model 2's 256GB NVMe SSD runs customers $530. And, finally, the top-tier option packed with a 512GB NVMe SSD costs $650.
The Steam Deck works similar to a Switch in that players can enjoy their games in one of two modes - as a handheld or docked for play on a monitor to TV screen. No doubt this marks an interesting leap for PC gaming, especially since, barring phones, Nintendo continues to dominate the handheld market amid PlayStation's seemingly ongoing disinterest. While other companies have attempted to compete in the past (i.e., the NVIDIA Shield Portable), Valve could be the company that cracks the mold in the long run. And make no mistake, the Steam creator does indeed have a long run in mind.
In an interview for EDGE Magazine Issue #369 (via PC Gamer), Valve President Gabe Newell noted the company's surprise upon learning that Steam Deck's highest-tier model proved the most popular version. This data will inform Valve's thinking with regards to the "Deck 2," he said, before adding, "They're basically saying, 'We would like an even more expensive version of this' in terms of horsepower capabilities or whatever." It doesn't appear to have been a throwaway line either, evidenced by Newell referring to the newly released Steam Deck as a "permanent" fixture in PC gaming whose "second iterations" will revolve around mobile capabilities that venture beyond the possibilities available on laptops and desktops.
It's no surprise Valve already has its eye on future versions of the Steam Deck, considering how quickly customers cleaned out pre-orders a few months ago. Of course, the device's success remains unproven as of yet; however, Valve may possess information that suggests demand for a Steam Deck 2 will one day prove difficult to ignore.
The Steam Deck handheld marks Valve's latest attempt to make a dent in the hardware space. Some may recall the oft-forgotten Steam Machine as one such attempt that went to market in 2015 and did little to move the needle. Valve has since tried its hand at manufacturing VR headsets in the form of Valve Index, a premium kit that especially came to life with the release of the award-winning Half-Life Alyx.
Source: EDGE Magazine (via PC Gamer)