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Leaked AMD chip hints Valve is building Steam Deck 2
An engineering sample called Gainsborough suggests Valve is testing hardware for its next handheld, though timing and performance remain unclear.
In brief
An engineering sample called Gainsborough suggests Valve is testing hardware for its next handheld, though timing and performance remain unclear. A leaked AMD chip codenamed Gainsborough hints Valve may be developing Steam Deck 2 hardware, but questions remain about performance and launch timing. Originally reported…
AMD chip leaked in benchmark
TechPowerUp spotted an AMD Gainsborough APU in OpenBenchmarking data. The engineering sample has six cores, twelve threads, and a base clock of two point four gigahertz.
Codename links chip to Steam Deck 2
Valve previously used Final Fantasy VII character names for Steam Deck chips: Aerith and Sephiroth. Gainsborough is Aerith's surname, suggesting this APU could power the next handheld.
Testing with 24GB of memory
The Gainsborough chip was paired with twenty four gigabytes of system memory during testing. This does not necessarily indicate a memory upgrade for Steam Deck 2, given the ongoing RAM crisis.
Benchmark results show modest gains
The Gainsborough APU scored three thousand five hundred eight points in Furmark at one thousand twenty four by seven hundred sixty eight resolution.
Early drivers explain modest performance
These benchmarks use drivers still in early development. The Gainsborough APU should perform significantly faster once the chip is finished and drivers are properly optimized.
Timing raises questions about launch
The Gainsborough CPU is expected to debut late in twenty twenty seven or in twenty twenty eight. This timing feels early for Steam Deck 2 given the RAM crisis and its impact on retail pricing.
Valve engineer stays guarded on plans
Pierre-Loup Griffais, a Valve engineer, was very guarded when recently discussing a potential Steam Deck 2 launch timeframe. The hardware sounded very much up in the air still.
Valve likely exploring options for sequel
Secrecy about hardware is normal for Valve. This leak suggests the company is beyond tinkering with ideas and is actively testing potential hardware for a Steam Deck 2 launch towards the end of the decade.
The main idea
A leaked AMD chip codenamed Gainsborough hints Valve may be developing Steam Deck 2 hardware, but questions remain about performance and launch timing.
