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Steam Deck Client Beta

A big new Steam Deck Client update was released yesterday, and it touches on a bit of everything. We have an updated downloads page layout, improved library loading times for large libraries, added visualization on Steam Input, fixed brightness slider when HDR is enabled in the quick access menu, reduced controller latency when in Big Picture Mode, fixed a bug that could make the video track of a recording appear empty, and so much more.

There were also some fixes for non-Steam Deck devices, like an updated suspend animation, improved display of startup animations on 16:9 aspect ratios, and a better reaction when a desktop PC is in a Steam game while the Steam Deck is. This last one is something that affected me a lot, and this fix has been wonderful. I am glad I don't just get kicked out of games anymore when I accidentally reopen the Steam Deck and forget I am in a game there too.

You can update the Steam Client by going to your settings and go to the systems tab. It will be the first option at the top!

Steam Deck Client 1/20/25 Update Changelog:

General

  • Updated layout of downloads page for the active item.
  • Updated suspend animation when not on Steam Deck.
  • Improved library asset loading times for large libraries.
  • Improved the display of the startup animations on 16:9 and ultra-wide monitor resolutions.
  • Improved caching of Soundtrack album covers in library.
  • Discovery Queue: Smoothed out user experience and brought up to date with recent changes to web version.
  • Child accounts are now allowed to adjust the brightness of the screen.
  • Added "View In Library" to the context menu for games on the downloads page.
  • Clicking on the game image of the actively downloading item on the downloads page will now navigate to the game's library page.
  • Fixed desktop Steam Clients exiting while running a game if a Steam Deck is resumed while running a non-Steam app.
  • Fixed several issues where navigation could get stuck behind menus or dialogs.
  • Fixed the WiFi auto connect setting being forgotten after a system restart.
  • Fixed a case where the WiFi connection dialog would not show a password prompt for networks that only support WPA3.
  • Fixed brightness slider (HDR) in Quick Access Menu.
  • Fixed the display of the Triangle/Cross glyphs for the PlayStation DualShock controller on some Virtual Keyboard skins where they didn't display.
  • Fixed turning off external gamepads connected via BT via the controller chord and after the inactivity timeout.
  • Fixed a stall in games after taking a screenshot for users with very large numbers of local screenshots (10's of thousands).
  • Fixed cases where repeatedly accessing the controller configurator in the overlay would leave extra instances of it in the backstack after exiting the game.
  • Fixed a case where bluetooth devices would sometimes show as a generic device under Settings->Bluetooth instead of showing as their specific type (e.g. gamepad/headphones).
  • Fixed a rare crash that could happen when scanning for WiFi devices under Settings->Internet.
  • Fixed a rare crash when hotplugging a mouse and keyboard
  • Fixed a case where navigation menus stopped showing after closing a game in Desktop Mode.

Game Recording

  • Improved error messages for limited accounts sharing messages in chat or via the share menu.
  • Fixed a bug where the video track of a game recording could be empty.

Remote Play

  • Fixed Remote Play Together session not fully starting for some games running on macOS host systems.

Steam Input

  • Reduced overhead/latency of controller input in Big Picture Mode and Virtual Menus.
  • Slightly reduced steady-state CPU usage of Steam Input overall.
  • Added visualization of mode shifts to the Preview Layout page.
  • Added the ability to have a mode shift without needing to have a mode already on a source.
  • Added Nintendo Switch controller configurations to the options shown by default for the Wireless HORIPAD for Steam so that gyro configurations are more easily found.
  • Made the "Choose a Configuration" page remember which tab you were on when returning from previewing a configuration.
  • Made the "Choose a Configuration" page remember the setting to show/hide configurations from other controller types.
  • In Options->Controller->Calibration & Advanced Settings->Gyro Calibration, the gamepad Pitch, Yaw, and roll icon rotation now come from the internal quaternion that drives many of the new "Gyro to..." modes, and Steam Input api's GetMotionData.
  • Fixed some Linux-specific crashes.
  • Fixed not being able to use "Export Layout->Save New Layout" when using a "Sharable Personal Layout".
  • Fixed an issue where previewing a configuration, then editing your original configuration could corrupt it.
  • Fixed a crash in Drill Core when Steam Input is enabled with a gamepad config.
  • Fixed an issue where the Wireless HORIPAD for Steam could wake up OLED Steam Decks when they suspend while the device is connected via BT.
  • Fixed an issue where hitting down in the Keyboard section of the Choose Binding screen could switch to the gamepad tab.
  • Fixed some cases where bindings were removed for grip or share buttons on devices.
  • Fixed a case where the title of the configuration in the summary screen would break after making an edit.
  • Fixed a case where inputs with multiple bindings would show up as \[object] \[object] after removing a binding.
  • Fixed SIAPI trigger bindings sometimes not working when bound to buttons.
  • Fixed Gyro as Joystick mode ignoring sensitivity settings.
  • Fixed the left/right trigger soft pull showing in the mode shift button dropdown as "none".
  • Fixed the mode shift button sometimes not having a localization token in the summary page.
  • Fixed virtual menus showing as "Create Touch Menu" instead of "Touch Menu" in the summary page.
  • Fixed Gyro Drift Correction not saving to disc when Sleeping the console. Save now occurs during manual calibration.
  • Fixed a case where mode shift bindings leftover from a bug in 2019 could activate a mode shift that was disabled in the UI.
  • Fixed detecting thumbsticks that have been mapped to a D-pad in controller setup.

If you enjoyed this article, check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that will help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got you covered!

Noah Kupetsky
A lover of gaming since 4, Noah has grown up with a love and passion for the industry. From there, he started to travel a lot and develop a joy for handheld and PC gaming. When the Steam Deck released, it just all clicked.
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