As more and more Steam Decks get into the hands of gamers, there’s been the nagging question of whether or not the impressive handheld will get a new version. According to a recent interview, it appears we now know the answer to that question.
In the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu magazine, according to VGC, multiple Valve developers were brought in to talk about the company’s handheld and celebrate the fact that the device is now up for reservation in Asia.
During that interview, designer Greg Coomer made the following statement:
Unless something major changes, there will be a next generation of Steam Deck products in the future. The theme, size and shape will change, and it might even become a streaming machine. Development of the Steam Deck will continue.
Not shying away from the sudden announcement, Coomer went on to explain in more detail:
One reason is that it is an extension of our core Steam platform. 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.
Steam Deck developer, Pierre-Loup Griffais, joined in the conversation to add that the company has already made improvements to battery life on the Steam Deck since launch and it continues to focus on giving users more control over how long their battery lasts. Griffais then makes a comment that suggests what improvements may be in store for the next Steam Deck:
As I mentioned, battery life is at the top of the list of improvements. I think the current Steam Deck is moving in the right direction in terms of functionality and compatibility. We always pay close attention to feedback.
Battery life has been one of the Steam Deck’s greatest weaknesses, so if Valve can improve in this area, it will make a lot of players happy. Unfortunately, it seems the team wasn’t as talkative about when we could expect to see the next-generation hardware or what the price point could be.
