Source is KeplerL2, who is generally considered a reliable source for insider hardware info, particularly on AMD GPU hardware and AMD SoC for consoles.
Previously I would have personally estimated Steam Deck 2 to release mid 2026-early 2027, but the recent info about an upcoming Steam Machine made me think that maybe I should push back that estimate.
Of course even if we assume this is reliable insider info, a lot can change in couple years, so things can definitely change.
As previously discussed, it’s confirmed that Valve is in fact working on a x86 to ARM emulator, probably for their upcoming VR headset.
However from what I understand, we’re unlikely to get better battery life from ARM hardware unless the software/games are actually created for ARM hardware. x86 games running through an emulator probably won’t see much benefit from the ARM hardware even if everything works great.
It’s been 5 years now since Apple moved to ARM. I think that had a big enough impact on the market to start compiling ARM binaries. Those toolchains are much more common now and I think once Steam makes the plunge, you’ll see a ton of games target it directly. As shitty as Apple’s decisions are sometimes, you definitely see them force the markets to move like when they removed the headphone jack.