Die Shrink 187: Steam Deck 2 & PS6 Portable Wishes
Summary
Tom and Dan discuss the leaked Steam Deck 2 APU, confirming its TSMC N3P node and potential rejection by Valve in favor of the Z3 Extreme. They debate the necessity of dockable handhelds, arguing that premium pricing requires home console functionality to justify the cost. The episode also covers UI scaling challenges for smaller screens, the viability of SD card storage, and the potential for cellular connectivity to enable true on-the-go gaming.
Topics discussed
Intro and recording software troubleshooting
Recap of past episodes and upcoming topics
Leak analysis: Steam Deck 2 and AMD APU codenames
Valve's strategy and hardware release timing
The importance of modern GPU architecture (RDNA 4/5)
Listener feedback: Dual screens and dockability
The necessity of dockable handhelds for home use
UI scaling, screen size, and readability issues
Cellular connectivity and SD card storage options
RDNA 4 performance benchmarks vs RDNA 3
Target frame rates and screen resolution standards
Storage expansion and form factor ergonomics
Battery life expectations and portable power solutions
Final performance predictions and Patreon shoutouts
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