AMD is Developing the New Aerith Plus Chip, Potentially Powering the Next Steam Deck

AMD appears to be preparing an updated system-on-chip (SoC) codenamed Aerith Plus, which could power the next generation of Valve’s portable console — Steam Deck 2. According to industry insiders, this new chip is expected to bring not only a significant performance boost but also set new standards for mobile gaming.

Leaked data suggests that Aerith Plus will feature an increased CPU clock speed of 3.8 GHz, 300 MHz higher than the current Aerith chip in the original Steam Deck. This hints at a possible shift from Zen 2 to Zen 5 architecture, which, in theory, could double the core count to 8 cores (16 threads) compared to the existing 4-core configuration.

The GPU is also getting a significant upgrade: the iGPU frequency will be bumped up to 1.8 GHz (+200 MHz), while the shift from RDNA 2 to RDNA 3.5 promises a major leap in graphical performance. Experts speculate that the compute unit count may increase to 12 CUs, potentially boosting GPU power by 1.5 to 2 times. One of the key upgrades is the transition to LPDDR5x memory running at 8533 MT/s — 33% faster than the LPDDR5-6400 used in the Steam Deck OLED. This will not only speed up data processing but also reduce latency in demanding games.

However, an increase in TDP to 20W (up from 15W in the original Steam Deck) raises concerns about the balance between performance and battery life. Analysts speculate that Valve might implement a cooling system similar to gaming laptops to prevent overheating.

While many believe Aerith Plus is destined for Steam Deck 2, some experts suggest it could be aimed at an intermediate model, similar to the PlayStation 5 Pro. The lack of confirmed CPU/GPU architectural changes in certain reports indicates that this could be more of an evolutionary upgrade rather than a full-fledged next-gen leap.

According to insider sources, an updated Steam Deck powered by Aerith Plus could launch as early as 2025. If these predictions hold true, gamers may soon get a device capable of running AAA titles at 1080p with high frame rates, setting a new benchmark for handheld gaming.