- Kyle Chua
New Steam Deck Model Could Be On The Way
A Steam Deck refresh could be arriving soon.
According to The Verge, Valve has put a new model of the handheld device through the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) certification process on 13 August. The agency's documents reveal that the device in question was listed with the model name "1030", which happens to be the same model name that was attached to a mystery device that was certified by South Korea's National Radio Research Agency.
The filings have managed to evade attention because, similar to the original Steam Deck, they were submitted by a company called Quectel, not Valve. Quectel is the Wi-Fi and and Bluetooth chip vendor of Valve.
Internet sleuth Brad Lynch first uncovered the filing, claiming that the new Steam Deck model could come equipped with a new modem that's capable of Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. He also posted on X a copy of the letter Quectel sent the FCC, filing for a Class II Permission Change to allow its already certified Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth chip, the FC66E, to retroactively work in a new Steam Deck. The cellular module provider argues that the chip doesn't need to be retested because it has a weaker antenna than other devices, so radio emissions will be lower.
As for what other features the new Steam Deck model could have remains unclear since the filings are only concerned about regulating radio emissions. Speculation online, however, is that a change in modem isn't significant enough to warrant a refresh, hinting that the new model would likely include a number of other improvements and upgrades.
Valve did previously make it clear that existing Steam Deck is a multi-generational device and gamers shouldn't expect a successor until 2025 at the earliest. "I don’t anticipate such a leap to be possible in the next couple of years," Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais told The Verge in late-September.
The Steam Deck was first released in February 2022.
Along with the filings for the new model of the Steam Deck, Lynch uncovered snippets of code that suggest Valve is also developing a new wireless PC virtual reality headset.
Valve in August 2023 put a new Steam Deck model through the FCC, with documents revealing that it was listed with the model name "1030".
That happens to be the same model name that was attached to a mystery device that was certified by South Korea's National Radio Research Agency.
Internet sleuth Brad Lynch first uncovered the filing, claiming that the new Steam Deck model could come equipped with a new modem that's capable of Wi-Fi 6E connectivity.