‘Next-gen’ Steam Decks are planned, streaming options a future possibility

The Steam Deck, Valve’s hybrid handheld gaming console, has seen significant success since the console launched back in February. We’re pretty big fans of it here at Polygon, with Chris Plante going so far as to call it his video game platform of choice with one of the greatest launch lineups ever. And, if a recent interview with Valve is any indication, players can expect even more from the platform in the future.

As reported by VGC, Weekly Famitsu magazine published an interview with several Valve developers in its latest issue concerning the release and reception of the Steam Deck. When asked a question concerning continued support for the console in the future, designer Greg Coomer was candid in his response.

“Unless something major changes, there will be a next generation of Steam Deck products in the future,” Coomer said. “The theme, size and shape will change, and it might even become a streaming machine. Development of the Steam Deck will continue.”

Coomer elaborated on the reasons behind this decision, stating that, “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 [...] and we will continue to work to satisfy our customers as much as possible.”

As for specific elements Valve would like to improve on in future iterations of the Steam Deck, developer Pierre-Loup Griffais cited battery life and optimization as chief among them. “We have already made improvements [to battery life] between the time of launch and now,” Griffais said. “We’re also constantly optimizing 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.”

Update: Valve has responded to Polygon’s request for comment, stating that there “definitely” will be new generations of Steam Deck. Valve clarified that, while the company might make streaming via the Steam Deck a focus in the future, it is not currently the company’s “primary path.” Valve says it has no announcements on technical specifications for the next generation of Steam Deck at this time.