Valve has recently announced that Steam Deck upgrade will be put on the backburner until at least two years from now. The company, best known for its digital distribution platform, has cited a prioritization of other projects over the deck upgrade for their decision.
Valve’s CEO, Gabe Newell, cited the increasing demand for high-end virtual reality hardware as the primary reason for the postponement. “We have to devote our resources elsewhere right now,” he said. “We just don’t have the capacity to focus on the Steam Deck upgrade at the moment, it’s unfortunate but that’s the way things are.”
The announcement has come as a disappointment to many avid Steam users, who have been hoping to see a significant update to the platform. Currently, the Steam Deck interface is a decade old, with no major changes since its launch in 2008.
Despite the news, Newell assured users that the company still has plans to improve the Steam experience. He mentioned a “robust multi-platform service” as one of Valve’s top priorities. He also expressed that the company is exploring ways to make the Steam Deck more accessible, with better navigational options and a better user experience.
Although details of the purported service are still few and far between, Newell did share a few insights. He confirmed that the new service, codenamed “Valve 2.0,” is expected to come with a completely revamped user interface, improved social functions, and better support for VR and mixed reality—all features users have been longing for.
For now, Valve users can only hope and wait for official details about Valve 2.0. As for an upgrade to the Steam Deck, it looks like fans will have to wait at least two more years before they can expect any major changes.
