Source is KeplerL2, who is generally considered a reliable source for insider hardware info, particularly on AMD GPU hardware and AMD SoC for consoles.
Previously I would have personally estimated Steam Deck 2 to release mid 2026-early 2027, but the recent info about an upcoming Steam Machine made me think that maybe I should push back that estimate.
Of course even if we assume this is reliable insider info, a lot can change in couple years, so things can definitely change.
I’m fine with this if it means they’re shooting for no-compromise 1440p 120hz with ray tracing this time around. That’s the only way I’d consider a Steam Deck. Otherwise it’s little more to me than just a neat novelty for people who want to get into PC gaming but can’t afford to. I rather just game on my desktop.
As a dad, the ability to pause games like a switch is beyond a selling point, it’s amazing to me that it’s ALSO and affordable low end pc and gaming rig that’s ALSO portable. There’s hundreds of indie games that run like a dream on the steam deck, not to mention retro games.
You’re not getting desktop performance in a portable format for cheap like the steam deck, and again the ability to pause a game is fucking phenomenal for my life.
Pausing has allowed me to start working through my backlog, totally agree with all your points.
With the death of moore’s law, that may never be possible for a handheld.
More stacking of layers (like 3D cache) and more efficient architectures and nodes will bring it closer.
However, nobody’s ever going to beat TDP. Anything you can fit into a handheld can be multiplied several times over in a stationary console.