A new leak has reportedly revealed when the Steam Deck 2 release date is being planned for. However, it’s not great news for players. According to a popular tech insider, Valve isn’t expected to launch the updated handheld anytime soon, and it could still be years away. Worse yet, the console might even end up being delayed further.Steam Deck 2 Release Date Leak Suggests Major DelayScreenshot: ValveIt’s hard to believe that the Steam Deck originally came out way back in 2022. For those doing the quick math, that’s over four years ago! In the PC gaming world, that’s almost an eternity in terms of hardware components becoming outdated.However, according to a new leak, players may be waiting years for an updated version of the console as the Steam Deck 2 release date might end up getting delayed. After reportedly targeting 2028, the handheld PC console’s launch could get pushed back even further.Insider Claims Valve Targeted 2028 LaunchThis latest leak comes from Kepler2. The popular tech insider claims that Valve was originally planning to have a Steam Deck 2 release date in 2028. However, the leaker then goes on to say that the console might have been delayed past that target date due to recent RAM shortages. Yes, you read that right. If true, we are looking at another two to three years!“They were targeting 2028 as far as I know. But the whole RAM/NAND situation could delay it.” The tech insider posted the leak in a series of posts on the popular gaming forum NeoGAF. While the Steam Deck 2 being delayed past 2028 would certainly be brutal for Valve players, there is actually a potential upside to all of this.Screenshot: NeoGaf Kepler2Steam Deck 2 Delay Could Actually Result in Better SpecsScreenshot: ValveThe other major information that Kepler2 revealed is that the Steam Deck 2 could end up having better specs because of the delay. Normally, consoles have their hardware components locked in years in advance, due to manufacturing contracts. However, Kepler2 revealed that the Steam Deck 2 has a “semi-custom” System on a Chip (SoC) setup which could give it some flexibility.This means that Valve could in theory actually pivot with a delay and use hardware components that are more recent than what the PS6 and Xbox Helix end up using. “Also since they don’t have a semi-custom SoC, unlike the PS6/Xbox, if it gets delayed it could end up with better specs.” If all of this ends up being true, the Steam Deck 2 might end up becoming the most powerful handheld.When Could Steam Deck 2 Actually Release?Screenshot: ValveOf course, take all of this with a grain of salt. While Kepler2 is one of the most reliable hardware leakers in the industry, this is currently just speculation. Kepler2 also says “could get delayed”, although the 2028 release window seems to be more set in stone. However, based on this latest update, it appears that players might have to wait until 2029 before the Steam Deck 2 becomes available. It could even be longer if the current RAM shortage crisis doesn’t get resolved soon. The regular Steam Deck and OLED model have been sold out since March 2026. We also still don’t have a Steam Machine release date or price either. So, the Steam Deck 2 might be the last thing on Valve’s mind right now. The post Steam Deck 2 Release Date Leak Is Bad News – Delay Could Push It to 2029 appeared first on VICE.