The latest rumour surrounding AMD’s Ryzen Z2 processors suggests that a new variant—reportedly based on the Steam Deck’s ‘Van Gogh’ architecture—might find its home in a budget SteamOS handheld. While AMD has only officially announced three Z2 chips so far, leaks point to at least two more in the works. Among them is a model referred to as the Ryzen Z2 A, which could make waves by revisiting older tech for a very specific purpose.
‘Van Gogh’, the codename behind the Steam Deck’s APU, combines Zen 2 CPU cores with RDNA 2 graphics. Although this now feels a bit long in the tooth, given the industry’s progression to Zen 5 and RDNA 4, the use of this older architecture isn’t without reason. The original Van Gogh chip was engineered with SteamOS in mind, giving it a unique compatibility advantage. If AMD is indeed repurposing this platform for the Z2 A, it could mean the chip is being purpose-built to support SteamOS efficiently—just not in a Steam Deck.
Valve has gone on record to say there won’t be a Z2-based Steam Deck, but the company has also been gradually enabling SteamOS support for non-Deck handhelds. This opens the door for third-party manufacturers to produce affordable devices that still tap into the SteamOS ecosystem, potentially without compromising too much on performance thanks to the Z2 A’s targeted design.
The idea makes sense when looking at the broader Z2 line-up. AMD has already shown a willingness to mix architectural generations in this family. The Z2 Go, for example, leans on RDNA 2 with a Rembrandt-R base, while the standard Z2 and the high-end Z2 Extreme step things up with newer CPU and GPU tech. Slotting in a Van Gogh-based Z2 A for lower-cost devices would complement the range, giving OEMs a sensible option for budget builds.
Given the ongoing interest in handheld gaming PCs, and the relatively high cost of entry for most options, a cheaper, SteamOS-optimised handheld could hit a sweet spot in the market. With SteamOS maturing, more efficient and cost-effective hardware like the Z2 A could finally give users a true plug-and-play experience without the need to rely on Valve’s own hardware.
