Steam Deck 2: Valve apparently faces a problem that's almost impossible to solve

There is still no official information about a possible Steam Deck 2. As we reported earlier this month, however, Valve's second-generation handheld could feature a GPU based on RDNA 3.5+ or RDNA 4m architecture with just twelve compute units – more than the current Steam Deck, but probably not enough for demanding AAA titles. These rumors can be traced back to hardware leaker Kelper_L2. Our article on the subject has sparked a heated discussion on Reddit, offering some interesting insights into what the gaming community expects from a potential successor to the Steam Deck.

Not everyone needs AAA gaming on a handheld

Judging by the discussion, not all users seem particularly interested in playing the latest AAA blockbusters on their handheld. Many prefer using the Steam Deck for older games, indie titles or working through their Steam backlogs accumulated over the years. User u/lolheyaj writes: “The steam deck is more of a backlog slayer than it is a AAA gaming rig.” – a sentiment that has received plenty of support from the community.

Many also feel that the discussion about insufficient graphics performance is generally too one-sided. After all, a handheld not only needs to deliver enough performance but also remain affordable and offer decent battery life. More graphics power generally means higher power consumption. Reddit user u/exodusTay sums up the dilemma: “people expect too much from a handheld. you can only get two of the three tings at the same time: a good gpu, good battery life and a light handheld.”

But then what's the point of a Steam Deck 2?

The other side definitely wants more processing power from a Steam Deck 2. Reddit user u/redditman181 therefore raises a fair question: “if thats the case as you say why bother making a steam deck 2? The current one plays old games perfectly fine.” Nobody expects the latest AAA blockbusters to run at maximum graphics settings. However, a successor should at least be capable of running them at low settings with a stable frame rate, the Redditor argues, pointing to more powerful gaming handhelds that can already handle modern AAA titles – such as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X or the Lenovo Legion Go 2. User u/KobeJuanKenobi9 shares a similar view: “Most steam deck owners play older games because the system is underpowered. I’d 100% play new games on it if I could.”

The discussion highlights the challenge Valve faces in developing the Steam Deck 2: While some players primarily want a lightweight, affordable handheld with long battery life, others are looking for more performance to play the latest blockbusters on the go. Combining both could prove difficult. Valve could try to strike a balance between performance, weight and battery life. However, that would also risk leaving both camps only partially satisfied. No matter what approach Valve ultimately takes with the Steam Deck 2, pleasing every player will likely be next to impossible.