It looks like we will have to wait a long time for the Steam Deck 2 to be released, but that hasn't stopped speculation about what specs Valve's rumored new handheld will have under the chassis. And while the latest reports don't seem to be the most reliable, they do highlight several features that might be included in the finished Steam Deck 2.

A translated message from Chiphell's Chinese forum thread (thanks, NotebookCheck) headlines a rumor that Valve's latest gaming handheld will feature a 900p OLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. The latter figure is the same as the Steam Deck's OLED, but the rumored boost to 900p (1600 x 900) would be a big boost. Both the original Steam Deck and the OLED model have 1280 x 800 screens, slightly above 720p due to the 16:10 aspect ratio of both portable gaming PCs.

These rumored Steam Deck 2 screen specs still fall short of the Lenovo Legion Go and others with 2560 x 1600 panels with 144 Hz refresh rates. Again, Valve's stance is not to try to outdo its handheld competitors when it comes to power. Instead, its easy-to-use SteamOS makes for a popular machine that is easy to pack in a backpack. And because the updated models have great OLED screens.

In what appears to be a reference to the Steam Deck 2's processor, Valve will use a "6-cylinder 4th generation gasoline engine," according to a translated Chiphell forum post. There is speculation that this CPU may be based on the Zen 4 architecture, a significant upgrade over the Zen 2 processor used by the OG Deck and Steam Deck OLEDs.

There is also talk of a next-generation GPU with 16 CUs (8 WGPs) and LPDDR5X 8,533, but other rumored details about the graphics card have not been revealed. Currently, the Steam Deck OLED has 8 RDNA 2 CU GPUs clocked at 1.6 GHz

. The post states that Steam Deck 2 will be released in "Q3-Q4 of 2026". Basically, if you believe this post, you will be playing GTA 6 on a PS5 Pro before you get Valve's latest title.

Finally, the translated message states that "prices should go up significantly. Currently, the most expensive version of the Steam Deck OLED is $649/$569, but "many existing models will continue to be sold as low-end configurations."

Let's be clear, don't just take this with a pinch of salt, you have to buy a truckload of sodium chloride to fill in the details of this article. The source is hardly reliable, and if any of the speculated specs happen to be correct, it is more likely to be due to lucky guesses rather than insider information.