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Look, it's easy to get all hyped about the Steam Deck 2, especially since Valve just confirmed it's "hard at work" developing the gaming handheld. For what it's worth, I'm pretty keen to see Valve shake up the portable PC scene yet again since things have come to a standstill. But, I don't think it's worth thinking about any of that until the Steam Machine actually launches, as the next Deck needs the mini PC to thrive.
I'll admit, it's a pretty crummy time to be into handhelds. That's largely thanks to the Steam Deck OLED being out of stock and other premium options like the ROG Xbox Ally X coming in at $1,000. Yes, you can grab the white version of the latter for under $500, but honestly? It feels like that portable borrows too much from the 2023 Asus original to feel fresh.
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I should note that the reverse also naturally applies to the Steam Machine. In fact, Valve's new controller basically exists thanks to the Steam Deck, and it practically just takes all the portable's tried and tested design cues and transforms them into a standalone gamepad. If the handheld hadn't already proven to players that haptic touchpads can make for an excellent way to play some PC games, it would no doubt be receiving a very different reception.
Of course, that latter scenario already happened with the first Steam Machine and controller. Both were arguably not completely different concepts, but Valve tried to introduce a new format with no prior success to back it up. As a result, the hardware was met with hesitation and a dash of skepticism, which ultimately led to its demise.
These sins of the father shouldn't technically haunt the Steam Machine, but the mini PC is new territory for Valve. It has managed to convince the PC scene at large that SteamOS is a proper rival to Windows and has effectively solved previous Linux-incompatibility hurdles with compatibility layers, but now it has to prove it can provide higher-end performance on par with a full-on rig.
The main challenge the Machine has on its hands that will directly impact the Steam Deck 2 is actually running games at 4K 60fps. For the record, the mini PC will be leveraging AMD FSR upscaling to make that happen, and if Valve can prove that the tools can boost fps appropriately, it will help outline realistic expectations for the handheld.
Let's be real, if a Steam Deck 2 drops that can't keep up with the Nvidia DLSS-enhanced capabilities of the Switch 2, it's doomed. Yes, performance comparisons are far more nuanced when comparing console and PC platforms since the expectations are higher on the latter. Still, it has to feel like it's providing next-gen specs without simply shoving the latest chipsets into expensive packages (something Intel Arc G3 handhelds will likely do), and the Steam Machine is the testing ground.
Performance will be pivotal to the Steam Deck 2 conversation, only second to its eventual price point, but new physical hardware features will be key too. Theoretically, Valve could test different accessories like new controllers that include elements destined for the handheld, allowing them to get a real sense for if something will actually stick.
It's not just the portable PC that will be influenced by the Machine, as the best Steam Deck docks of tomorrow could mimic the mini PC. For example, the next-gen accessory could incorporate features like the wireless controller puck into its design, or even adopt the same functional LED light strip at the front. It could even end up tapping into the faceplate design that will allow for e-ink panels at the front, all serving the purpose of transforming the handheld into a lower-spec alternative to the Machine with a similar featureset.
My entire point boils down to the idea that the Steam Machine has to be a proper force in the PC and console scene before the Steam Deck 2 can exist. Valve agrees, as SteamOS developer Pierre-Loup Griffais stated yesterday that you can "you can draw a straight line" across everything from the OG Machine to the new Steam controller and the mini PC.
"The Steam Deck 2 will be a lot of the same, where a lot of what we're doing here will be learnings that build up to it," says Griffais, and that cements the idea of a linear journey to the next gaming handheld. In a nutshell, park your portable cravings to one side for now, as we've got a Steam Machine main course to chow down on first.
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