I'm already dreaming about the Steam Deck 2, and the upgrade at the top of my wishlist is a sleeker, lighter form factor

I've not touched my Steam Deck in months. Were it not for my other half commandeering it as a dedicated visual novel machine and chewing through Higurashi's hundreds of thousands of words, the Valve handheld would have been getting dusty.

It's not that I'm averse to gaming handhelds—I won't tell you how many hours I've put into getting humbled by Dungeon Encounters on the original Nintendo Switch. So why have I fallen out with the Steam Deck? Especially when my colleagues are enjoying their best cozy gaming, Tiny Bookshop life with the handheld? Well, it all comes down to my biggest ask for the Steam Deck's successor: Please Valve, make the Steam Deck 2 just a little more comfortable for my teeny tiny raccoon hands.

Now, I know what you may be thinking—'sounds like a skill issue,' 'shouldn't have skipped arm day,' 'get outta here you weird baby-handed freak,' and so on. But when it comes to gaming handhelds, the original Steam Deck stands out as an especially beefy boy. It's not just the bulky shape but, at 1.48 lbs (or 673 grams), the weight of it too.

For some sleeker points of comparison, the original Nintendo Switch weighs 0.88 lbs (or 398 g) while the Switch 2 weighs 1.18 lbs (534 g). As much as I enjoy its 7.9-inch touchscreen, I am of the opinion that the Switch 2 verges on being unwieldy. Perhaps it's the nostalgia goggles talking, but back in my day handhelds used to be portable without a bespoke, sold-separately carry case (credit where credit is due, Valve at least packs-in a protective shell within the price of a Steam Deck).

Comparing Nintendo's latest handheld to Valve's may seem like I'm likening apples to oranges but James' recent technical breakdown suggests a closer run thing than you may initially suspect. Granted, both bits of kit are geared towards different audiences, but those two gaming spheres arguably overlap more now than ever before; odds are a lot of the folks playing Silksong on the Switch 2 right now also had the option to play it on PC.

The Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck next to each other — (Image credit: Future)

But is a bulky footprint just the price of admission for a decently powerful handheld? Judging by the reigning champion of our best handheld gaming PC guide, maybe. The Legion Go S loaded up with the SteamOS currently wears the crown of 'best overall handheld gaming PC,' and that's even heavier than the Steam Deck.

To be totally fair, a bulkier footprint isn't always a bad thing either. For instance, the ROG Xbox Ally features chunky grips in the name of ergonomics. Our Jacob recently went hands on with it, and says the comfort justifies this added heft. Remembering how the rounded corners of ye olde Nintendo DS would cause pins and needles in my palms, perhaps I'll yet warm up to a bulky-but-ergonomic handheld design.

Speaking of that nostalgic console though, scroll down through our best handheld gaming PC guide and you'll soon clap eyes upon the tasteful clamshell design of the Ayaneo Flip DS. Okay, I'll level with you—at 1.43 lb (650 g), it's not that much lighter than the Steam Deck. Still, the form factor of the Flip DS means I'm much more inclined to pop it in my backpack for gaming adventures away from my desk, or simply curl up in bed with it and something cozy that doesn't really put the hardware through its paces. Personally, I can't wait to get my disquietingly wee little mitts on the OLED model either.

An Ayaneo Flip DS running a game while sat on a desk. — (Image credit: Future)

To be clear, I very much doubt Valve is eyeing anything like a clamshell design for its next handheld (and if the Steam Deck 2 does come with two screens and a hinge, I will eat both my hat and then the console itself). What we do know is that whatever form it takes, it will still be some time before we hear anything concrete about the Steam Deck's successor.

For one thing, Lawrence Yang said last year, "[It's] not really fair to your customers to come out with something so soon that's only incrementally better." Valve is likely still waiting for the "generational leap in compute without sacrificing battery life" that would then justify a fully fledged follow-up handheld. In the meantime, leave a girl to her dreams of a slightly sleeker, hopefully less hefty handheld in the near-ish future.

Best handheld PC 2025

👉Check out our full guide👈

1. Best overall:
Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS ed.

2. Best budget:
Steam Deck

3. Best Windows:
MSI Claw 8 AI+

4. Best big screen:
Lenovo Legion Go

5. Best compact:
Ayaneo Flip DS

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Jess has been writing about games for over ten years, spending the last seven working on print publications PLAY and Official PlayStation Magazine. When she’s not writing about all things hardware here, she’s getting cosy with a horror classic, ranting about a cult hit to a captive audience, or tinkering with some tabletop nonsense.

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