Documents submitted to regulators suggest thatValveis already working on a newSteam Deckmodel, as fans scan over some of the scarce details on the company’s latest project. This suggests that, as we approach the Steam Deck’s second birthday, Valve has its mid-gen refresh in mind, possibly giving the console a boost in specs, even if it doesn’t replace it entirely.
This isn’t confirmed, but details gleaned byThe Vergesuggest this could very well be the case sooner rather than later. These details come from documents detailing a prototype Steam Deck from Valve, which would suggest it wants to make some changes from the model that’s currently on the market. It’s not clear if this would be a beefier or even lighter model than what we have already, but in any case, a new version could be on the market soon.
Documents sent to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have confirmed that Valve wants to launch a new Steam Deck, but so far, that’s about all we can say for certain. As noted in the report, there isn’t much more to go on right now, leaving us wondering whether this will be a technical upgrade or a cheaper version for those looking to game on a budget.
A less powerful model could go down well right now. As we’re in a worldwide cost of living crisis, many have turned to options like theXbox Series Sas alternatives to expensive hardware.Microsoftrecently doubled down on this, releasing a new Series S model that comes with more memory for a slight price increase, still much cheaper than anXbox Series X.
Or, it could be taken in the other direction entirely, being made for those who want a better performance from the Deck. Previous console generations have seen this, with thePlayStation 4 Pro,Xbox One X, and most recently,Nintendo Switch OLED. Valve is a newcomer to this market, though, and isn’t beholden to these customs.
We’ll have to wait and see what comes from this news, but as Valve has enough to show off to regulators, this announcement may come sooner rather than later. Particularly as we approach the holidays, and all the hardware sellers will be vying for our attention. In any case, we can confidently say that it won’t be a “next-gen” Deck, which Valve has previously said is “a few years away”. A mid-gen refresh before committing to a totally new model would make much more sense, as the Deck is still in its early days just yet.
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