HardwareHandheld Gaming PCsSteam Deck update brings improved graphics driver for better performance, along with fixes and features galoreWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
HardwareHandheld Gaming PCsSteam Deck update brings improved graphics driver for better performance, along with fixes and features galoreWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future)
Steam Deckowners rejoice, for Valve has bestowed us with many gifts in the most recent SteamOS preview update, taking it toversion 3.6.0. There are plenty of fixes and added features to enjoy, along with a graphics driver update that promises “many performance and correctness improvements”.
The OS itself has been moved to a more recent Arch Linux base, with an update to the Linux kernel too. I thought I’d lead with the most exciting bits. Ah just kidding, there’s a whole host of fixes including improved pairing with Apple AirPods, improved Bluetooth connection speeds, better performance and stability in high memory use scenarios, and the added ability to wake the device from sleep with Bluetooth devices.
The graphics card driver has been updated to Mesa 24.1, which according to the release notes delivers many performance improvements. I had a drive around some of the more demanding areas inCyberpunk 2077and did notice that the frame rate appeared to be a little less stutter-prone than previous, although of course this is no magic bullet fix that turns your Deck into anRTX 4090-like monster.
Still, any performance improvements, I will take. Those of you that fancy pushing the hardware to its limits will be pleased to find overclocking controls added to the BIOS for theSteam Deck LCD, and you can now set the SD card as the default boot device, which should keep tinkerers happy.
Speaking of LCDs, there’s been a few software improvements to the screen, too. Display uniformity should be improved with Mura Compensation, which is designed to help mitigate the dreaded"Mura effect", a common issue with LCD displays exposed to high temperatures over time in which the displayed image can look unintentionally grainy.
I never noticed the issue personally on my Deck, but if yours has been suffering this should hopefully minimise the effect. There’s also improved display colour balance at lower brightness levels, which should make things look better with the screen turned down to maximise battery life.
In desktop mode you now get thumbnail previews for videos in the file browser, and the Deck Dock—a name I love to say out loud—gets some intriguing HDMI CEC features too, including TV remote input, TV wake up, and TV input switching. There’s also some compatibility fixes forhigh refresh rate VRR displays.
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A red letter day for Steam Deck owners then, with plenty of quality of life and compatibility improvements, and a little bit of a performance boost too. Still no version you can use on other hardware though, which is a shame, although you can’t have everything, ey?
Steam Deck OLED review: Our verdict on Valve’s handheld.Best Steam Deck accessories: Get decked out.Steam Deck battery life: What’s the real battery life?Best handheld gaming PC: What’s the best travel buddy?
Steam Deck OLED review: Our verdict on Valve’s handheld.Best Steam Deck accessories: Get decked out.Steam Deck battery life: What’s the real battery life?Best handheld gaming PC: What’s the best travel buddy?
Steam Deck OLED review: Our verdict on Valve’s handheld.Best Steam Deck accessories: Get decked out.Steam Deck battery life: What’s the real battery life?Best handheld gaming PC: What’s the best travel buddy?
Steam Deck OLED review: Our verdict on Valve’s handheld.Best Steam Deck accessories: Get decked out.Steam Deck battery life: What’s the real battery life?Best handheld gaming PC: What’s the best travel buddy?
Steam Deck OLED review: Our verdict on Valve’s handheld.Best Steam Deck accessories: Get decked out.Steam Deck battery life: What’s the real battery life?Best handheld gaming PC: What’s the best travel buddy?
Steam Deck OLED review: Our verdict on Valve’s handheld.Best Steam Deck accessories: Get decked out.Steam Deck battery life: What’s the real battery life?Best handheld gaming PC: What’s the best travel buddy?
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