Valve's Steam Deck 2 is targeting a 2028 release as the company transitions from semi-custom to off-the-shelf AMD silicon. This strategy change aims to prevent hardware obsolescence that plagued the previous model. Supply chain challenges with DRAM and NAND Flash could potentially delay these plans, though industry shortages are expected to ease by then.

The current Steam Deck uses a 6nm APU with four Zen 2 cores and eight RDNA 2 compute units. By switching to off-the-shelf components, Valve can leverage the best available technology at launch time rather than being constrained by custom chip development. This approach provides more flexibility in power optimization and avoids inventory pressures that affected previous models.

The new Steam Deck 2 is expected to feature more advanced AMD silicon, likely with Zen 6 cores and RDNA 5 GPU architecture. This strategic move positions Valve to compete against new handheld gaming entrants like Lenovo, ASUS, and MSI. The off-the-shelf solution gives Valve greater control over specifications and release timing.