🎮 Steam Deck 2 Rumours, PS6 Handheld Could Be More Powerful Than Xbox S And New Lord Of The Rings Game...
And also The First Descendant Might Be Living On Borrowed Time, Stellar Blade Publisher Acquires Unbound Studio, Sony Buys Cinemersive Labs and State Of Decay 3 Alpha Playtest Starts Soon
Hello friends,
Today is April 14th 2026 and I hope you’ve had a great week 🙌
In today’s news:
🎮 Steam Deck 2 Rumours
🎮 PS6 Handheld Could Be More Powerful Than Xbox
🎮 New Lord Of The Rings Game
🎮 The First Descendant Might Be Living On Borrowed Time
🎮 Stellar Blade Publisher Acquires Unbound Studio
🎮 Sony Buys Cinemersive Labs
🎮 State Of Decay 3 Alpha Playtest Starts Soon
🫡 True Tribute!
😄 Personal Update
All of this is brought to you in a 5 min format ⏲️
Let’s dig in!
🎮 Steam Deck 2 Rumours
With a lot of console manufacturers beginning to talk about next-gen, it was only a matter of time before we started hearing rumours from Valve, and today is that day.
Some time ago, a rumour started spreading around that the company plans to release Steam Deck 2 in 2028, provided the current RAM and SSD shortages don’t get worse. The whole thing began when a notable hardware leaker KeplerL2 shared it on NeoGAF while denying a potential release in 2029. He also shared that even if this new hardware is delayed, it might not be a big deal. Unlike Project Helix from Xbox or PlayStation 6 Handheld, Steam Deck could be upgraded as time goes on, and Valve could use a delay to boost the specs even further.
But then again, this is not yet confirmed by the company, so treat it with a grain of salt. So far, there is no strong evidence that supports that claim.
Still, it kind of aligns with previous statements from Valve, as they were saying multiple times that they are pursuing more substantial generational leaps in performance and framing the Steam Deck as a multi-generational product. And it’s already been almost 4 years since the initial release. I’d say that a 6-year window is quite a lot of time for a generation leap.
And personally, I’m just glad that they are working on it after all. With the hardware situation, I wouldn’t be surprised if they decided to pull back from console manufacturing altogether. Or at least until the dust settles.
This is also significant in the sense that Microsoft and Sony are also talking about a new handheld. And with all the delays and shortages, we might end up having 3 big product launches at around the same time. If that’s the case, Valve clearly has at least a small advantage. Again, if this rumour about them upgrading parts is to be believed.
So, if you have to choose one of them, what would you buy? A Steam Deck 2, a new Xbox handheld or a PS6?
🎮 PS6 Handheld Could Be More Powerful Than Xbox
While we are on the subject of hardware and handhelds, more rumours were shared recently about a PS6 from Sony.
The company still hasn’t made any official announcements, but some insiders have already got their hands on the specs and, in a recent post on NeoGAF, compared it to the Switch 2 and the Series S. And according to it, a supposed PS6 handheld GPU is “a bit ahead” of Xbox Series S in rasterization (high-speed rendering process of converting 3D vector graphics into 2D pixel grids for display) and “massively ahead” in ray tracing/path tracing. And it makes sense, it’s a next-gen for a reason after all.
But then again, we are talking about a rumour, so it’s hard to judge it, especially since it’s not even confirmed that PlayStation 6 is going to be a standalone handheld.
And I think the specs almost don’t matter. I mean, for people who want the most powerful piece of hardware possible, it is definitely important, but this particular handheld will matter more as an ecosystem retention device. With Microsoft and other console manufacturers trying to monopolise their customers' attention by being an “everything platform”, it is important for Sony not to fall behind. The decisive variable is whether the device keeps PlayStation users inside Sony’s software, subscription, and account ecosystem across more hours, locations, and contexts.
So, even if these specs are wrong, the strategic pressure on Sony is real. Even if it can give Xbox a run for its money in terms of raw power, PS6 will only be successful in case it’s a unified ecosystem with a lot of compatibility.
What do you think? Is the performance a defining factor for you?
🎮 New Lord Of The Rings Game
It’s been a while since we had a good Lord Of The Rings game, and a new claim surfaced recently, suggesting that Crystal Dynamics is currently working on a new unannounced project in this universe.
Exclusively reported by Insider Gaming, this new game seems to be a part of a deal with Abu Dhabi Investment Office with roughly $100 million in funding. The outlet confirmed this rumour with people close to the game’s development, and according to them, Crystal Dynamics is working on this project alongside Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst. Those sources also said that this title was in development for some time, but it’s still a bit away from release.
But officially, both Crystal Dynamics and Embracer Group declined to comment on this rumour.
And while I’m excited about a potential Lord Of The Rings game, I find it quite troubling that it’s this particular studio that’s working on it. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Crystal Dynamics; they are a good developer when they want to be. But they recently suffered 4 rounds of layoffs in a row. Honestly, I find it hard to believe that a studio constantly being pushed to the limit like this can even work on one title adequately, let alone three different ones. And with the franchise still stained by the Gollum game and a TV show struggling to get universal acclaim, it doesn’t need another mediocre project.
Of course, with already announced Tomb Raider games, it means that it will be more than a bit till we see anything specific with this project. And it makes sense for Embracer to start using the IP, since they likely spent a hefty sum on it. And the demand is there, I think. I doubt that I’m the only one who loves this franchise and would like nothing more than to see a new game.
Call me crazy, but maybe a studio that’s already stretched too thin is not the best choice to start developing it? 🤔
If you haven’t subscribed yet, this button is just for you ⤵️
🎮 The First Descendant Might Be Living On Borrowed Time
With the second anniversary of The First Descendant slowly approaching, it looks like even the developers no longer think that this game can last.
At least that’s what the CEO of Nexon thinks about their own game, according to a recently released briefing. While he acknowledges a meteoric rise of the game as it reached 10 million players in seven days, as well as more than 250,000 concurrent players according to Steam Charts, he also says the game lost its way after that. The retention mechanics weren’t strong enough to hold players long-term, and there are a lot of design issues that developers simply can’t fix with a patch. They require fundamental changes to the game mechanics. So, in his own words, the game has no staying power.
And while it’s sad to see him saying that about his own game, he might be right. Concurrence is hitting rock bottom with only a little over 5,000 players in the last 24 hours, and reviews are still mixed after almost two years. For a free-to-play title, those are not great numbers. At least the company did their best with what they have. Curiously, this best included some of the most audacious and very revealing outfits that were almost bordering on being not safe for work. But it wasn’t enough.
Of course, the game is not shutting down just yet, but when even a CEO says things like that, how long will it take them to pull the plug completely?
🎮 Stellar Blade Publisher Acquires Unbound Studio
Remember how we talked about Shinji Mikami and his new studio a few weeks ago? Shift Up, the developers behind Stellar Blade, recently announced they are buying it.
According to a recent press release, both Shift Up and Shinji Mikami are very pleased with this acquisition and excited to work together. Curiously, Mikami described this as a newly emerged partnership with a strong synergy between him and the CEO of the new parent company, as well as promised that both of them would work as one and do their best to create fun games that would meet the expectations of their fans.
And it’s quite a notable acquisition these days. While Unbound has Mikami, right now he is just a name. His studio doesn’t have a released franchise, a shipped roadmap, or a monetisation engine yet. The only thing it has is a team that’s still being formed, a big name, and AAA ambitions. But with Stellar Blade being quite a big success and the company even announcing a follow-up, I guess they have enough cash to gamble a little bit.
And for Mikami, it’s definitely a big win. Having a big publisher like this behind them substantially raises the chances of their debut project seeing the light of day.
🎮 Sony Buys Cinemersive Labs
Meanwhile, Sony also continues to buy other studios and companies, and this time, it acquired Cinemersive Labs.
While this acquisition is less about games themselves, according to a recent blog post, it will contribute its part. Cinemersive Labs was founded back in 2022 as a specialised team with deep expertise in computer vision and machine learning. Its site describes technology that turns a single photo into a volumetric 3D immersive experience and references apps for Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro, plus immersive VR video work. And Sony specifically wanted their expertise to “explore new ways to push the boundaries of visual computing and deliver richer, more immersive gameplay experiences”.
And here I thought that nobody is interested in VR anymore 😅
To be fair, Sony didn’t specify whether they plan more VR or AR projects, so maybe this new subsidiary will now focus on just developing the technology for regular premium games. Or maybe it’s a strategic move to boost the development of their next gen.
Either way, it looks like everybody is looking for ways to bring next-gen graphics forward sooner and define what they are.
🎮 State Of Decay 3 Alpha Playtest Starts Soon
Finally, some news on the long-awaited sequel for the State of Decay franchise 😁
According to a recently released video with the co-creator of the State of Decay franchise, while there was not a lot of news about it, the team was hard at work. They analysed a lot of player feedback on what worked and what didn’t with the previous entry, implemented it in State of Decay 3 and now are inviting people to sign up for the playtest.
Of course, he didn’t want to spoil anything, so there are no new details about this game. The only thing he mentioned is that the alpha playtest will feature 4-player co-op, some new base building and resource strategies, and a whole lot of combat.
And it’s the first tangible evidence that both Xbox and Undead Labs are starting to treat this game as a shippable product instead of a distant prospect. Announced in July 2020, lightly resurfaced in June 2024, then mostly discussed through broad assurances until now. At least now we have an option to see what exactly they’ve been cooking for this long. Also, an alpha playtest is a great idea. The studio clearly doesn’t want to repeat the same mistakes it made with the previous games. So, third time’s a charm, I guess.
I’m already signed up for it. Are you?
🫡 True Tribute!
Today I wanted to salute Kathy Enriquez and The KATacombs !
My partner and I both like these pieces very much. And, as a person who almost became a goth during my teen years, I can very much relate to everything said around the culture. Weirdly enough, I’m also noticing that it’s sort of coming back to some degree, but for whatever reason, it became oversexualized to the point of absurdity. But regardless, amazing exploration on both fronts 😁
😄 Personal Update
I’m thinking about changing this section of my newsletter to something a little bit more interesting and useful 😅
Since I can’t really talk about my job all that much and my personal life is not that exciting, I’ve been thinking of maybe changing this section of my newsletter to maybe an interesting game that I found, as it best aligns with what I am writing about.
Again, maybe I’m overthinking it, and maybe you do like reading about what’s going on with me, so I’ll leave this poll right here to be the final judge 😁
This is all the news I have for you folks today.
Thanks for making it this far! 🙌
If you feel like supporting me and my work, consider Powering-Up GameDev Relay 🎮
Have a great week!
Alex from Gamedev Relay.
Thank you so much for the tribute again! I am so happy that both you and your partner love these.
And yes I do agree. It’s weird that it came back and became a fetish thing. So it’s really made me wanna write these pieces as someone who lives the lifestyle.
I guess if I had to choose, I would pick a Steam Deck 2. But I wouldn't. I bought the Steam Deck to tackle my backlog. So once I tackle everything that is to be tackled, and I'm left with stuff I cannot finish on the MacBook, Steam Deck, and Switch 2... I might buy the Steam Deck 2 then. But I don't think that would be anytime soon.