Don't expect a Steam Deck 2 to come out anytime soon

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If you thought Valve would release a new Steam Deck every year, we're sorry to disappoint you that this might not happen. In an interview with Reviews.org, Steam Deck designers Lawrence Yang and Yazan Aldehayyat talked about the game console's future.

Despite more competition in the space, they don't plan on releasing new versions of the Steam Deck with only incremental updates. Yang said the team is looking for a "generational leap in compute without sacrificing battery life" before they launch a proper Steam Deck 2.

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Steam tightens refund policy for Early Access games

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Eight years ago, Valve introduced a generous refund policy for Steam users. You could get a refund on any game, no questions asked, within 14 days of purchase as long as you played for less than two hours. However, this policy didn't quite apply to Early Access and Advanced Access games. 

In these programs, players could enjoy a game early before its official release, but playtime during that period didn't count towards the two-hour limit. This meant some could essentially play most of the game and then request a refund before release. To address this loophole, Valve has updated its policy. Now, any playtime in Early Access or Advanced Access will count towards the two-hour refund limit.

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Steam revamps family sharing with new features

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Steam revamped its family sharing with Steam Families. Families can now share games more easily with simultaneous play for different games, stronger parental controls, and easier gifting for kids.

Gone are the days of juggling Family Sharing and Family View. Now, families of up to six can play together without restrictions on how many devices you can authorize (except members can play the same game at once). If two people in your family want to play the same game, there needs to be a new copy bought and added to your library. Each member still maintains their saves, achievements, workshop files, and other features.

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Valve launches OLED version of the Steam Deck

Valve

Valve has unveiled the Steam Deck OLED, the next iteration of its portable gaming PC, over a year after launching the original Steam Deck.

The new model will be released on November 16 and boasts an enhanced OLED display, better audio, and a handful of quality-of-life improvements. It also promises a significant increase in battery life, with Valve estimating a 30 percent to 50 percent improvement over the launch version.

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