It’s a provided that the Steam Deck 2 will outperform its predecessor, however the hole between the 2 handhelds might be substantial relying on Valve’s alternative of chip. With this in thoughts, new efficiency estimates for upcoming AMD processors, sporting RDNA 3+ built-in graphics, appear like an ideal match for a high-performance Steam Deck successor.
For now, the Steam Deck firmly holds on to the crown of finest handheld gaming PC, regardless of competing gadgets providing greater ranges of efficiency with extra highly effective AMD chips. Nevertheless, Valve can’t maintain this place indefinitely, and it’s solely a matter of time till the Steam Deck 2 emerges from the shadows, armed with extra highly effective specs.
Nearly all of handhelds, together with the Steam Deck, pack AMD APUs, that are CPUs with performance-driven devoted graphics, save for a number of mavericks just like the MSI Claw. This development doesn’t appear more likely to change anytime quickly, particularly if these reported efficiency estimates for upcoming ‘Strix Level’ processors are consultant.
In accordance with leaker Xinoassassin, as reported by WCCFTech, the subsequent batch of APUs from AMD might be corresponding to some devoted laptop computer GPUs, particularly the GeForce RTX 3050 and Radeon RX 6400. That is primarily based on 3DMark Time Spy outcomes, the place the flagship chip achieves a results of 4,000 within the benchmark, which is simply 800 factors behind the RTX 3050 and 500 factors forward of the RX 6400.
It’s unclear whether or not an APU of this caliber would discover its method into the Steam Deck, given its presumed excessive price and Valve’s present pricing technique for the system. Nevertheless, provided that the 512GB mannequin was the most important vendor of the three configurations, the method for the Steam Deck 2 could also be markedly completely different.
Failing their look in a Steam Deck, although, there’s each likelihood we might see the GPU energy of those APUs inside a successor to the ROG Ally or Legion Go, given their greater asking costs. In any case, Lenovo has already shared its need to launch a Legion Go 2 sooner or later.
Along with their RDNA 3+ graphics, these ‘Strix Level’ APUs are additionally more likely to function AMD Zen 4 cores, additional boosting efficiency, and probably effectivity too, relative to the AMD Z1 Excessive and Aerith/Sephiroth chips which are presently getting used.
Whereas we’re ready for the subsequent would-be challenger to the Steam Deck, give our Steam Deck OLED evaluate a learn to acquaint your self with the present ruler of the roost.
