The Steam Deck 2 "Leak" From Chiphell is Ridiculous - Why I Don't Believe It

Today, a "leak" was reported by multiple different outlets regarding the upcoming Steam Deck. According to outlets like Notebookcheck and Dexerto, a user from Chiphell, a Chinese forum, wrote a coded message regarding specs for a "certain handheld." Based on the message, it appears to talk about some of the specifications for a handheld, and based on some of what was said, it seems to be talking about the Steam Deck. And while it is interesting to discuss, and we are excited to see what comes next, I wouldn't believe what is being discussed.

First, let's talk about what is being said. Based on the translation and how others have perceived it, it seems like the user mentions that this handheld could have a Zen 4 CPU with 6 cores and a 16-core GPU. It also sounds like it will have RAM that is 8533MHz speed. The person also mentions that the screen will be 900p, 90Hz, and OLED, but it could be changed later, and it is targeting a 2026 Q3-Q4 release.

Now, there are a couple of issues with this "leak" that I want to mention. First, the source. This information comes from a random Chinese website with a forum post created by a random user. Not only does this person have seemingly 0 connection to any source this information could have come from, but the translation is extremely weird. Other outlets have tried to "de-code" the message, which uses terms like "Ferrari engine," "Horsepower motor," and "No. 8533 gasoline," and while some of it does seem like it could connect, this is a ridiculous way to just talk about the specs. I can't see any reason why someone would be coding a message like this when you don't mention a specific device, and you are just talking about a CPU, GPU, and RAM configuration.

Then, we have the actual specs this user is talking about. While it seems likely, there are no numbers or anything credible backing it up. Its use of Zen 4 makes sense, seeing as how Valve used Zen 2 for the original Deck 3 years after it was announced, but this is still far from an actual release, and so much can change. The only part of this that is believable to me is the release window of 2026, but Valve did mention the next Deck is a couple of years away, so it lines up with that.

Valve hasn't released any details about the next Steam Deck besides a possible release window. No information has been released on the CPU, GPU, RAM, screen, cooling system, or anything, and knowing Valve, it will be a closely guarded secret until they are ready to talk about it. I understand it is very enjoyable to talk about and speculate what the next generation will be like, but I would take anything mentioned outside of Valve with a grain of salt.

Regarding this "leak," there isn't anything credible with it, and the speculation seems to be a mix of guessing and logical assumptions based on Valve's comments. With how early this is, everything is subject to change, and without any proof, I wouldn't take any of this as anything more than random speculation. With Valve having just released the OLED refresh last year, which was significantly faster than I expected, there won't likely be any information released for a while.

It is extremely exciting to see so many outlets get jazzed and post about any news regarding the next Steam Deck, and it just shows how far it has come, but it's never bad to keep expectations in check and verify the sources.

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