Steam Deck 2 plans remain unchanged despite the ongoing memory crisis, Valve confirms

The ongoing memory crisis has caused problems across the tech industry, with rising component costs forcing several companies to increase the prices of existing products or rethink plans for future hardware. Even the original Steam Deck has become more expensive. However, despite all the chaos, Valve says its plans for the Steam Deck 2 haven't changed.

Valve has previously made it clear that it doesn't want to release a successor simply because newer and faster hardware is available. Instead, the company is waiting until it can deliver a significant generational improvement in performance while maintaining the balance between performance, efficiency, and price that made the original handheld attractive.

With RAM prices climbing, there were concerns that those plans could be affected. However, Valve software developer Pierre-Loup Griffais told IGN that this isn't really the case.

According to Griffais, Valve is still approaching a future Steam Deck with the same goals. The company wants the next handheld to offer a clearly noticeable performance improvement rather than a smaller upgrade. Valve is continuing to watch current market conditions to determine when it can deliver such a device.

Price is particularly important considering what has happened with the current Steam Deck. Its 512GB OLED model now costs as much as $789, up from its previous $549 price. On the other hand, the 1TB model is now priced at $949 instead of $649. Even the Steam Machine launched with a higher-than-expected price tag, and the memory crisis is to blame for that. 

That said, it’s release date still remains a mystery. Previous rumors have suggested that Valve is targeting a 2028 release window for the Steam Deck 2, but nothing is confirmed yet.