Valve’s latest moves have sparked considerable excitement among gaming enthusiasts, as the prospect of the much-anticipated Steam Deck 2 starts to take a clearer shape. With the addition of DLSS 3 support to Proton and SteamOS, chatter is abuzz that Valve may be eyeing Nvidia for its next-gen handheld gaming device.
Traditionally, the handheld gaming PC landscape has been dominated by AMD, fueling devices from prominent brands like Valve’s own Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go, as well as emerging players like Ayaneo and OneXPlayer. These devices leverage the power of Ryzen APUs to deliver impressive gaming performance in a portable format. However, Valve’s latest updates hint at a possible pivot towards Nvidia technology.
According to recent developments on GitHub, Valve’s Proton compatibility layer now supports Nvidia’s DLSS 3 and lays the groundwork for Frame Generation. While this might seem like a routine enhancement, it fuels speculation that Valve might be contemplating the use of Nvidia hardware for the Steam Deck 2. This strategic direction could be aligned with discussions at Valve about the importance of achieving significant performance improvements in the next device iteration, without compromising on efficiency.
In parallel, Valve has been experimenting with adding ARM64 support to its Proton layer. Early assumptions pegged this as an effort to enable Windows games on ARM-based systems or Chromebooks. However, this could be a preliminary step towards ensuring compatibility for a future Steam Deck 2 running on a potential ARM-based Nvidia SoC.
Rumors suggest that Nvidia is exploring the integration of its exceptional GeForce GPU technology with an ARM-based CPU, likely targeting a 2025 release. Should this new SoC deliver, it has the potential to outperform the AMD Ryzen-based SoC currently powering the first-generation Steam Deck, paving the way for an even more powerful and efficient gaming handheld.
As gamers eagerly anticipate further announcements from Valve, the possibility of an Nvidia-powered Steam Deck 2 promises a leap forward in handheld gaming technology, potentially setting a new benchmark in the industry. Whether or not Valve will officially confirm this direction remains to be seen, but the tech community will be watching developments closely.
