The RAM Crisis Won't Affect Plans for the Steam Deck 2

If you haven't yet, follow us on X (Twitter), Mastodon, or Bluesky to know when we post new articles, and join our Reddit or Subscribe to us on YouTube to check out our content and interact with our awesome community. Thank you for supporting us!

With everything going on with hardware in tech, it’s easy to be worried about how it could affect upcoming hardware. We have already seen its effect on current hardware, like the Steam Deck and Steam Machine, and it’s worth thinking about how it could affect the next generation of the Deck. However, that may not be the case, and it sounds like the plans for the Steam Deck 2 are unchanged from what they were before.

In an interview with IGN, Valve software developers Pierre-Loup Griffais and Jeff Leinbaugh were asked about any possible changes to the upcoming plans due to the ongoing RAM shortage. Thankfully, it sounds like there aren’t any changes just yet and that they are still on the same plan as they were before:

“Not really,” said Griffais. “We've talked before about how we want to make sure there's a very delineated performance improvement for something like a future Steam Deck, and I think we're still looking at it in the same way.

“It's just a matter of looking at the current conditions and seeing how and when we can deliver something like that. But from what we're working on, as far as the user experience goes and what the product that we're trying to build goes, it's very similar goals.”

Pierre-Loup Griffais - IGN Article

Honestly, everything they’re saying makes sense. Since they announced they were going to be making a second-generation Steam Deck, they constantly talked about how they were waiting for the right generational leap to provide ample performance improvements with a 15W TDP. It makes sense that they’re still waiting on that, or they’re still in the planning stages to make it happen.

With how the price of the Steam Deck ballooned from the RAM crisis, going up by as much as $300, it makes sense to be worried about what could happen with future handhelds. The Steam Deck 2 still sounds like it’s a little ways away, though I doubt prices for components will have gone down by the time they’re ready to ship the device. Still, it gives me some confidence that they’re saying their target hasn’t changed, and I can’t wait to see what they’re gonna do for the second generation.

Source: IGN

If you enjoyed this article, check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that are sure to help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got your back.