Valve has confirmed that a new Steam Deck is coming "in the future" that will feature "improvements and iterations to hardware and software". It also plans to be "even more open" than the first, building on its free customisable nature.
This news came courtesy of a Steam Deck booklet that Valve is using to introduce the hardware to new markets in Asia (thanks, GamingOnLinux). "This is a multi-generational product line," it said. "Valve will support Steam Deck and SteamOS well into the foreseeable future. We will learn from the Steam community about new uses for our hardware that we haven't thought of yet, and we will build new versions to be even more open and capable than the first version of Steam Deck has been."
It's unlike Valve to confirm follow-ups to its hardware as, historically, its products haven't had successors - there is no Steam Controller or Link 2, with Valve yet to confirm if it'll follow up on its VR headset, the Index. Though a patented "Deckard" points to an unannounced follow-up. But already, we know some form of new Deck will be arriving in the future, confirming that Valve is here to stay in the handheld console market.
In the same booklet, Valve also announced that the new Steam Deck UI will replace Big Picture on desktop "soon", though "rollout will happen in stages." This is in a bid to make Steam more viable for controllers and TV screens, so you don't have to huddle up at a desk with a monitor to game.
However, while we know Steam Deck is here to stay with continuations and updates, there's still no word on when we can expect the Dock to arrive.
It was originally set to release in Spring 2022 but was delayed indefinitely due to chip shortages and COVID-19, with the former problem expected to continue well into 2024. It could be a while before we get our hands on official Steam Deck docks, though these delays won't impact the production of the Steam Deck itself.