Valve is reportedly working on a Steam Deck 2 gaming handheld that could feature a major performance upgrade through AMD’s next-generation processor technology.
According to sources cited in a recent Moore’s Law is Dead podcast, the rumored Steam Deck 2 may be powered by AMD’s “Magnus” Zen 6 APU, the same processor expected to drive the PlayStation 6 and next-generation Xbox consoles.
The processor has already been linked to next-generation gaming consoles through leaked documents containing codenames, including “Mero,” which was previously an unused codename for the original Steam Deck’s APU. This suggests Valve may be positioning its next handheld to compete directly with console-level performance.
Valve has not officially announced development of a Steam Deck 2. However, company designer Pierre-Loup Griffais indicated at CES 2025 that the company was not considering new hardware “until next year at least,” suggesting 2026 as a potential timeline.
Griffais previously told The Verge that Valve would only pursue a successor when there was a “significant enough increase” in performance available. The AMD Magnus APU with Zen 6 architecture could provide exactly that leap, offering substantial gaming performance improvements over the current Steam Deck.
The timing aligns with AMD’s expected Zen 6 release schedule, with the new architecture anticipated to arrive in 2026 or 2027. This would give Valve access to the same cutting-edge technology powering future gaming consoles.
Beyond the Steam Deck 2, rumors suggest Valve may also be exploring a home console and potential partnerships, though these remain unconfirmed.
The gaming handheld market continues to expand rapidly, with Microsoft’s ROG Xbox Ally devices launching this fall and Lenovo’s Legion Go 2 prototype reportedly targeting a September release.
