SteamOS 3.3 Beta

Right off the heels of their Proton Experimental update, it looks like Valve has also pushed a SteamOS beta update too. Some nice fixes in this one while also adding in support for some arcade sticks and updating graphics drivers to fix some performance and and compatibility issues.

SteamOS 3.3 Beta Patch Notes:

  • Support for Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean keyboard. These keyboards are now available in Steam Client Beta
  • Fixed a performance issue with some games when the backlight changes intensity. The Adaptive Brightness toggle is now active again in the Steam Client Beta
  • Updated graphics driver with compatibility and performance fixes
  • Updated wireless driver with fixes for WiFi disconnection issues on 5Ghz
  • Add built-in controller driver that takes effect when Steam isn't running in desktop mode
  • Fixed the panel staying off when disconnecting from dock shortly after resuming from sleep
  • Fixed the panel backlight staying on while docked
  • Added support for the Qanba Obsidian and Qanba Dragon arcade sticks in PC mode
  • Fix washed-out colors in the Remote Play client when playing with specific hosts
  • Fixed echo cancellation CPU overhead when the microphone isn't being used, improving power usage in idle or near-idle scenarios
  • Fixed Bluetooth profile selection not being saved when switching away from Desktop mode
  • Fixed multi-channel audio on external displays
  • Fixed audio out on some capture cards
  • Fixed some instances of corrupt audio after resuming from sleep
  • Fixed audio output with some 32-bit games that use ALSA

It is great seeing the updated drivers, especially for the wireless driver fixing disconnection issues on 5GHz connections. As someone who uses those connections to download games onto my Deck, I would like to stop any disconnecting from happening. You can also view this post, as well as the discussion on Steam, from the Steam Community post made announcing this patch.

To join the SteamOS beta branch, go into your Settings -> System and change the OS Update Channel to Beta.

Need some help understanding how to use our website? Check out our Guide to Steam Deck HQ.

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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