Valve make no profit on the consoles themselves right? And if the steam deck profit model of making their money off of games applies to games bought on any handheld, then why not let the other companies have the higher end market and all the research and development costs that making a new console needs. Especially because each new generation would need a refresh to stay on top.(more r and d costs) So why wouldnt valve just keep making their current steam deck that runs stuff well enough for them to keep selling games.
My take on this may be archaic or evidently from someone who got their first pair of glasses a couple months ago, but until cybernetic eyes are a reality do we really need more than 1280x800 on a 7" screen? Does a bigger battery to maintain similar battery life with higher grade component hold any weight (pun intended) in the decision?