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Recently, the Steamworks SDK got a pretty big update that helps developers out a lot. In the new update, developers are now able to more easily detect whether a game is running on Valve's hardware, detect whether they are using Proton or not, and set a default graphics configuration depending on the hardware the user has. It's perfect for developers who want to create specific settings for different hardware, like the Steam Deck and Steam Machine. However, until now, Proton didn't support the new SDK update, which means that some of these features couldn't be used to the fullest. That has now changed.

Steamworks SDK Proton

Today, both the latest versions of Proton 10 and Proton 11 both got Steamworks SDK 1.65 support. This means that games that utilize either of these layers will be able to use the features, which will make it significantly easier for devs to configure settings for different devices. Since some games still default to Proton 10, it makes sense why it also got the update, but as more and more games switch over to Proton 11, it won't be needed on older versions like Proton 9.

Now, those of us playing the games won't see much of a difference. However, this will be a big help for developers, making it easier for them to optimize games for us so we won't have to modify much afterward. It's going to make our lives easier to play games without needing to change any settings to optimize performance, which will be great.

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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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