Valve has recently clarified that a new version of the Steam Deck won't be available until late 2025 at the earliest. This hesitation stems from the company's commitment to ensuring any future upgrades substantially boost the platform's performance without considerably impacting its battery life.

Pierre-Loup Griffais, the head of Steam Deck's design team, emphasized the importance of the device's consistent performance target for developers and a straightforward message for consumers, where every Steam Deck can support the same range of games. This ambition implies a significant period for hardware development.

The company is currently observing the advancements in technology design and manufacturing, remaining noncommittal about the specifics of any potential Steam Deck successor. This strategy draws attention as it coincides with rumors surrounding the 2024 release of the Nintendo Switch 2.

Despite the emergence of more powerful portable PC devices, Valve does not appear to feel the competitive pressure, arguing that these rival products have not substantially outperformed the Steam Deck.