Leaked specifications of AMD AERITH Plus chip on Steam Deck 2

Details about the next-generation Steam Deck continue to emerge as a shipping log from NBD reveals the existence of the AERITH Plus SoC—an upgraded version of the AERITH chip currently used in the Steam Deck. According to the leaked data, AERITH Plus will have a maximum clock speed of 3.8 GHz, which is 300 MHz higher than the 3.5 GHz of the original AERITH. Additionally, this SoC has a maximum TDP of 20W, compared to the 15W of its predecessor.

The first-generation Steam Deck, equipped with the AERITH chip based on the Zen 2 architecture, has started to fall behind in performance compared to devices utilizing Zen 4, such as the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go.

AERITH is the codename for the custom SoC designed by AMD specifically for the Steam Deck, featuring a Zen 2 architecture with 4 cores, 8 threads, and an integrated GPU based on RDNA 2. The AERITH Plus version is expected to bring significant performance improvements. In addition to the increased clock speed, its integrated GPU could reach a maximum frequency of 1.8 GHz—200 MHz higher than the 1.6 GHz GPU on the original AERITH. Moreover, it is paired with Samsung’s LPDDR5X memory running at 8,533 MT/s, a substantial upgrade from the current LPDDR5 at 6,400 MT/s.

AMD’s upgrade to the SoC for the next-generation Steam Deck suggests that Valve is preparing for a major performance leap for its handheld gaming device. Last year, Valve confirmed that they wanted the next-generation Steam Deck to offer significantly better performance than the current version. If the leaks are accurate, AERITH Plus could be a customized version of the Kraken Point processor series, based on Zen 5 architecture, featuring up to 8 cores, 16 threads, and an integrated GPU with 12 compute units. This would lead to significant improvements in graphics processing and overall performance.

However, there is still no official information regarding the Steam Deck 2 or the detailed specifications of the AERITH Plus SoC. Initial leaks suggest the device could launch next year, but confirmation from Valve or AMD is still needed.

As always, for the latest news on hardware launches and industry developments, be sure to follow our dedicated hardware coverage.