The next iteration of SteamOS has been pushed into the preview channel for testing. This update is a huge one as it rebases SteamOS to the latest version of Arch Linux, which brings performance and security updates along with some awesome new features for desktop mode (KDE Plasma). The update also brings with the option to screen tear, the horizontal level 2 performance overlay, re-enabling TRIM, and brings a new firmware update for the official dock to fix HDMI 2.0 displays not being detected when the Deck is woken up:

  • Rebased SteamOS on the latest version of Arch Linux
  • This update pulls in the latest performance, security and stability fixes for the underlying packages that are the foundation for SteamOS
  • Most notably, this includes recent changes to KDE Plasma, Steam Deck's Desktop Mode. Full notes on these updates can be found on KDE's website here, here, and here. Here are a few of the highlights:
    • New Overview view to see all open windows and virtual desktops
    • Updates to KRunner, the built in assistant for searching and running tasks
    • New touchscreen gestures
    • New themes and wallpapers
    • Updates to widgets
  • Performance profiles
  • New option to allow Screen Tearing
  • Changed performance HUD level 2 to use a horizontal layout. It fits in the letterbox space for games running in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
  • Storage
  • Re-enabled TRIM for the internal drive as well as supported external storage devices, improving write performance
    • This includes a workaround ensuring that TRIM operations are safe for SD cards that advertise discard support but do not support it
    • Steam will periodically TRIM storage devices as needed
    • New button in Settings → System → Advanced to run trim immediately
  • Added an eject option for removable drives in Settings → Storage
    • This unmounts the removable drive, it does not physically eject it
  • External drives formatted as ext4 are now automatically mounted and available for use in Steam
  • Input
  • Disabled built-in DualShock 4 and DualSense trackpad → mouse emulation when Steam is running
  • Changed timing of virtual keypresses to improve game compatibility with on-screen keyboard
    • Fixes input issues with apps such as Street Fighter V, EA app
  • Fixed Steam Input's action set switching based on cursor visibility in Game mode
  • Re-enabled the built-in gamepad driver when Steam is not running in desktop mode
  • Audio
  • Fixed a case where the default audio device would display "echo-cancel-sink" and audio controls would cease to work correctly
  • Fixed a case where some applications would output audio to the wrong device
  • Fixed an issue with HDMI/DisplayPort audio going to sleep after being idle on external displays
  • General
  • Fixed a performance issue that could cause 100ms hitches during gameplay if adaptive backlight was enabled
  • Fixed issue with opening file managers if the gamescope session has been restarted
  • Fixed issues with sleep / wake for a number of titles
  • Fixed GPU clock settings sometimes not sticking if set manually (thanks to user xperia64 for the amdgpu kernel patch backport)
  • Fixed an issue with fan controller excessive sensor polling causing sporadic fan behavior and higher SSD temps on some NVME drives
  • New firmware for Docking Station
    • Fixes an issue where HDMI 2.0 displays are not detected during wake or boot up
  • Known Issue: Chinese Pinyin and Zhuyin input for the on-screen keyboard are not currently functioning correctly - we are aware of the issues and will address in an upcoming update.

You can view the changelog and discussion over on Steam. You can also opt into the preview through the OS updates channel and selecting Beta in your system settings.

This is a very early preview, so bugs are expected, but this is super exciting to see come to fruition. Rebasing SteamOS with the latest version of Arch Linux is massive, not to mention the re-enabling of TRIM and other improvements!

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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