Valve says ‘next-gen’ Steam Decks are planned and may include streaming machines
It’s highly likely that there will be a “next generation” of Steam Deck hardware, according to a long-term Valve designer.
The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu magazine has an interview with a number of Valve developers to celebrate the fact that the Steam Deck can now be reserved by players in Asia.
At one point in the interview, the team is asked: “If Steam Deck is successful can we expect more in the future?”
“Unless something major changes, there will be a next generation of Steam Deck products in the future,” designer Greg Coomer replied.
“The theme, size and shape will change, and it might even become a streaming machine. Development of the Steam Deck will continue.
“One reason is that it is an extension of our core Steam platform,” he said. “The Steam Deck is another PC in another form, but Steam has many other uses besides this handheld device, such as on TV or on the desktop, and we will continue to work to satisfy our customers as much as possible.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Steam Deck developer Pierre-Loup Griffais identified battery life as one of the issues of “the current Steam Deck”, again seemingly implying that improved hardware is on the way.
“We have already made improvements [to battery life] between the time of launch and now,” he explained. “For example, we’ve made it possible to play refresh rates at 40 Hz, and we’re working hard to give users more control over how long their battery lasts.
“We’re also constantly optimising the operating system to reduce battery consumption when playing games that are not too demanding. This will improve the battery life. In any case, battery issues are at the top of our list of future improvements.”
When later asked for any major improvements planned, Griffais added: “As I
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