Valve says Steam Deck 2 is still in development as RAM shortages keep Deck stock tight

Valve says Steam Deck 2 is still in active development, but the company still is not ready to attach any release window to it. In remarks reported on April 28, Valve programmer Pierre-Loup Griffais said the successor is in progress and described it as the next step in a hardware line that runs from the original Steam Controller and early Steam Machines through to the current Steam Deck and the new 2026 hardware push.

The immediate problem is supply, not launch timing. Griffais said Valve is still working through shipping difficulty and global memory shortages, with stock of the original Steam Deck remaining tight in some regions for months. He added that the same RAM market pressure is also affecting the upcoming Steam Machine, which is why Valve is trying to keep multiple suppliers and component options open instead of relying on a single path.

Valve also repeated the design rule that has shaped this project for a while: Steam Deck 2 is not supposed to be a minor bump. Griffais said Valve wants a meaningful leap rather than a handheld that offers only 20% to 50% more performance at similar battery life. That puts the focus back on future silicon and architecture rather than on shipping a quick refresh just because the market expects a number change.

The Reddit thread tracked that logic closely. Some of the most upvoted replies focused on weight, ergonomics, and battery expectations, while others simply read the shortage story as a sign that Deck 2 is still at least a couple of years away. That mood is useful context. Players are not just asking for confirmation that Valve has a sequel planned. They are already sketching the minimum bar for what a real second-generation Steam Deck has to improve before it is worth the wait.