Valve’s Steam Deck 2 remains on track despite global RAM crisis

Valve hasn’t talked much about its next‑gen Steam Deck plans over the past year, but that is slowly starting to change. The Steam Deck 2 is in development, and despite the ongoing RAM and SSD shortages driving up hardware prices across the industry, Valve says its roadmap for the device hasn’t changed.

In a recent interview with IGN, Valve reiterated that it is still aiming for a true generational leap with Steam Deck 2. The company has been consistent on this point for years, saying it won’t ship new hardware until it can deliver a clear, meaningful jump in performance at a price that makes sense. While other handheld PCs have surpassed the Steam Deck in raw power, they’ve done so at significantly higher prices, which is exactly the trap Valve wants to avoid.

The current RAM crisis has raised concerns about whether component shortages and price spikes might force Valve to rethink its plans. According to Valve’s Pierre‑Loup Griffais, that hasn’t happened. “Not really,” he said when asked if the RAM shortage had impacted Steam Deck 2. Griffais explained that Valve is still targeting the same goals for the next‑gen model, emphasising that the team wants a clearly defined performance improvement and is continuing to work toward that target. “It’s just a matter of looking at the current conditions and seeing how and when we can deliver something like that,” he added.

Valve’s stance suggests that Steam Deck 2 is still on track internally, even if the company isn’t ready to talk timelines or specs. The focus remains on hitting the right balance between performance, efficiency and cost, the same formula that made the original Steam Deck successful.

KitGuru Says: I wouldn't expect a Steam Deck 2 within the next year, but perhaps by late 2028 / 2029, handheld-grade gaming hardware will have matured enough for an upgrade that makes sense. 

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