Here’s the first proof a refreshed Steam Deck is nigh
www.theverge.com
Valve put a new Steam Deck through the FCC in August.
  • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
    87·
    1 year ago

    Gonna laugh hard if valve is just sourcing wireless chips from a different vendor and tracking under a new sku

    • Deconceptualist@lemm.eeEnglish
      45·
      1 year ago

      That’s basically all this is, same as they did for other components like fans and SSDs already.

      The new wifi chip might be faster or support more recent standards, but that’s hardly worth even calling it a product refresh.

      I’m disappointed the Verge published these claims of “OMG this is a stealth upgrade!!1” with literally no other evidence.

      • Big PEnglish
        38·
        1 year ago

        Evidence for: new WiFi chip
        Evidence against: valve literally said they weren’t going to do it

        Conclusion: steam deck 2!!!1!!

        • M500@lemmy.mlEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          I do not believe that Valve would say they were not going to do it then do it.

          I just bought a SteamDeck as they said they were not going to release any upgrades. I do not care if it is just minor stuff, but if they release SteamDeck2 with a new CPU, I would be a little frustrated with Valve.

        • deafboy@lemmy.world
          21·
          1 year ago

          valve literally said they weren’t going to do it

          Raspberry pi said so as well. Month later, the new model was released.

    • Fubarberry@sopuli.xyzOPMEnglish
      23·
      1 year ago

      We know Valve has two upcoming devices using the Steam Deck APU with different internal code names, so probably a revised deck and a VR device.

    • Fubarberry@sopuli.xyzOPMEnglish
      71·
      1 year ago

      Valve has two different products coming up, I think we’re getting both a Deck refresh and a new VR headset. Possibly announced together.

      • Lenny@lemmy.zipEnglish
        5·
        1 year ago

        I hope so. I was looking to get an Index but then saw rumors online about a possible new version, so I figured I’d wait a little longer for the new tech. That was two years ago 💀

    • Mike@lemmy.ml
      8·
      1 year ago

      It’s been almost 2 years.

      *edit: I don’t mean to say the deck needs a refresh. Just stating that its been 18 months. Phones get refreshed every year but most people cycle every 2.

        • Phanatik@kbin.social
          2·
          1 year ago

          Not sure what they’re counting as the release date. For some people, it was a good 6 months after the first set of Decks were sent before they saw their own. By December, Valve had gotten through so many orders, they had surplus.

          • Mike@lemmy.ml
            1·
            1 year ago

            The release date is the release date, the hardware was set and orders were being shipped. It doesn’t matter when people got hands on the device, that doesn’t change or shift the date the product was finished and officially for sale. It’s been 18 months since the deck released.

    • euphoric_cat@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      5·
      1 year ago

      because it is, a new model they said wouldn’t come out until 2025 or later. these bullshit articles just take the most vague information and try sensationalise it as much as possible

  • ultrasquid@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    131·
    1 year ago

    If its slightly smaller and has an OLED screen, then it’ll be great. Those are really the only things the current Steam Deck needs.

  • twistypencil@lemmy.world
    121·
    1 year ago

    I don’t want oled, I don’t want 4k. I would like better wifi, lighter, and better graphics capabilities. I can feel the blood returning to my hands when I set the deck down.

    • Fubarberry@sopuli.xyzOPMEnglish
      5·
      1 year ago

      Better wifi is basically confirmed, the certification is for a better wifi chip. The APU is the same, so same power, but maybe it could be smaller and lighter.

      That said, I think how hard you grip the deck has a bigger impact on your hand circulation. I used to have issues with my hands getting numb, but I was holding the deck too tightly. After adjusting my grip I don’t have issues anymore and find it very comfy.

    • deafboy@lemmy.world
      4·
      1 year ago

      I don’t really mind the weight. It’s the shape that I can’t stand. Whereas the steam controller is shaped like /0’0\ the deck is shaped like \°| |°/ . Keeping the wrists in such a sharp angle can’t be healthy.

    • BolexForSoup@kbin.social
      48·
      1 year ago

      that’s supposed to be at least as powerful a PS5/XBS.

      I think anyone who truly believes that is huffing paint lol

      • Alto@kbin.social
        3·
        1 year ago

        Didn’t it tuen out that it was literally just the same architecture? Doesn’t really mean shit

        • Lord_Wunderfrog@lemmy.fmhy.net
          10·
          1 year ago

          Exactly, same architecture means nothing if it only draws a fraction of the power, eg from a battery and not mains. Not only that, but size and cooling constraints mean with our current tech, it’s impossible to have a small handheld as powerful as current gen consoles

        • BolexForSoup@kbin.social
          4·
          1 year ago

          Honestly the biggest barrier is nintendo’s policy of making profit on hardware. Microsoft loses $100-$200 per console and the XSX still costs $500. Is nintendo really ready to charge $600 or even $700 for a console that matches what was released 3 years ago? 4 probably by launch?

          • conciselyverbose@kbin.social
            1·
            1 year ago

            The biggest barrier is that Nvidia has shown no capability to make a CPU that isn’t unconditional dogshit for gaming, and the CPU is the Switch’s problem.

            The only company that’s made an ARM CPU remotely interesting is Apple.

              • conciselyverbose@kbin.social
                1·
                1 year ago

                They’re proud of “withered technology” as a philosophy.

                My point is that even if they changed, it doesn’t matter. The fact that it’s nvidia means that it can’t get close on real world performance with anything that uses the CPU meaningfully. Even if they did match graphics benchmarks for some reason, it would be way off from actually playing most current gen games at a reasonable level.

          • Alto@kbin.social
            1·
            1 year ago

            It’s not going to be, it’s (from what I’ve seen) simply the same architecture. It’ll probably be what’s essentially a very cut down and underpowered (as in literally uses less power) version of it. Still a massive step up from the switch, which was already well outdated when it launched, but it’s not going to touch PS5 performance

    • theragu40@lemmy.world
      3·
      1 year ago

      I highly doubt Nintendo is attempting any kind of gap closure with the deck, because how could they and why?

      The only thing they share is a form factor. Nintendo is well aware that the reason they sell consoles is as a dedicated platform for their own games. I truly believe that is their bread and butter and all they really care about. If the system gets popular enough, then it will get some third party support which means it will have some very limited library crossover with PC/PS/Xbox, but I think we are past the point where Nintendo intends to rely on that as a selling point for this or any future generation of consoles. Ports of games that come to switch are pretty uniformly the worst version of the game to play, and it’s pretty clear that doesn’t bother Nintendo at all.

      Which is all to say, I don’t think Nintendo and Valve think of each other as direct competitors, because they serve entirely different markets. I have both a switch and a deck. I love them both. I use my switch to play Nintendo games, I use my deck to play pretty much anything else. I don’t think I’m unique at all in that regard, and frankly it never would occur to me that these devices have anything to do with one another.

    • Fubarberry@sopuli.xyzOPMEnglish
      3·
      1 year ago

      They said they’re not releasing a more powerful deck, and we already know from leaks that the upcoming valve hardware has the same APU.

      This doesn’t rule out other changes, like a new screen, different form factor, etc.

        • Fubarberry@sopuli.xyzOPMEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          There are supposedly two new hardware devices coming from Valve, earlier leaks had two different product code names. So possibly we’re getting both a revised deck and a new VR something.

          • eltimablo@kbin.social
            41·
            1 year ago

            God, what I wouldn’t give for a standalone VR headset with the Steam Deck’s internals…mostly because I just want them to shove a whole bunch of support behind getting VR to work right on Linux.

            • pory@lemmy.worldEnglish
              1·
              1 year ago

              I don’t think there’s currently evidence that this new “Deck” is a Deck at all. Releasing a standing console box with the Deck’s internals but better cooling, ethernet and better wifi, HDMI/DP out, 3.5" SSD support, and SteamOS 3.5, but no screen / integrated controls / battery would make a lot of sense for Valve. And I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t probably buy one - the docked Deck has been fantastic in that role. It would probably be cheaper than the Deck since durability, battery, and screen are all likely expensive investments for them on the actual Deck.

              Steam Machines failed because there wasn’t a successful base model for companies to clone, and because Big Picture mode sucked. The modern Deck UI and UX are on par with Sony/MS/Nintendo’s and you get to sell the console as “it works with the controllers you already have and the games you already bought”.

    • Fubarberry@sopuli.xyzOPMEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Yeah, I haven’t had an issue with this but it sounds scary. The case I use (Spiggan) does have a part of the case that sticks above the bumpers, so I’m hoping that will protect me if I drop it.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    8·
    1 year ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    The mystery “Valve 1030” that went through South Korea’s National Radio Research Agency has now been definitively identified as a Steam Deck, and it’s our first proof the hardware’s potentially close enough to release to justify showing it to regulators.

    Quectel filed for a Class II Permission Change to simply allow its certified Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth chip, the FC66E, to retroactively work in a new Steam Deck, too.

    It’s a clever technique — as you can see in the document above, Valve’s supplier is able to argue that the new Steam Deck has a weaker antenna, so its radio emissions don’t need to be retested.

    Valve can hide whatever new features it likes behind the Wi-Fi chip certification because these agencies only tend to regulate radio emissions, not other specs.

    I have to admit it could simply be an existing Steam Deck with a refreshed radio chip if its previous supplier, Realtek, ran out.

    Lynch continues to find code snippets that suggest a wireless PC VR headset is also on the way — I wouldn’t be surprised if Valve announces both items simultaneously.

    The original article contains 355 words, the summary contains 184 words. Saved 48%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

    • Fubarberry@sopuli.xyzOPMEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I’d really like to see the deck more internationally available, Valve’s limited experience as a hardware vendor really shows when it comes to the limited availability of the deck.

      • woelkchen@lemmy.world
        5·
        1 year ago

        Is USB4 able to use an external GPU?

        Yes but it would be BS to use one with a power-contrained CPU like the Deck’s.

        • vividspecter@lemm.ee
          2·
          1 year ago

          Yes but it would be BS to use one with a power-contrained CPU like the Deck’s.

          You could bump up the resolution and graphical settings at least, even if you’re constrained in framerate and in CPU limited games. Although I believe the eGPU support on Linux isn’t great at this point either.

      • krolden@lemmy.ml
        21·
        1 year ago

        yes, USB4 has thunderbolt in the spec. The cpu on the deck is just fine for games but the gpu with shared memory is really it’s biggest bottleneck.