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SteamOS

The first preview update for SteamOS 3.9 has been released, and it has some pretty big changes so far. Linux gets updated to 7.2, which includes some massive security updates and optimizations. We also have HDMI 2.1 support and cache-aware scheduling for CPU cores to reduce latency.

We also have updates to Desktop Mode's KDE Plasma, which add a chunk of features. These include per-screen virtual desktops, a light and dark mode toggle, the printer icon now shows active jobs, a new and improved on-screen keyboard, text recognition from Spectacle, automatic theme transitions, and more.

However, the biggest improvement with this update comes from the introduction of Hibernation. This is a feature where we can turn off our computer, and it will save what we were doing before. The fact that we have initial support is great, and I hope it will come to Game Mode soon as well.

You can access the preview channel by going into the System settings on your Steam Deck and changing the updated channel to “Preview”.

SteamOS 3.9 Preview Update Changelog:

General

Misc

  • Updated the bootloader to improve compatibility with certain motherboards
  • The Desktop Mode lockscreen is no longer prevented from being explicitly enabled in settings (but remains off by default)

Developer

  • Switched WiFi backend to wpa_supplicant by default for new installations, improving compatibility with various WiFi networks
    • Enhanced wpa_supplicant to support fast WiFi reconnect on resume from sleep, previously only available in the iwd backend
    • Known issue: Existing installations will continue to use iwd unless manually enabled in Developer Settings
  • Linux kernel rebased on Linux 7.2
  • Added preliminary support for hibernation, not yet exposed in Game Mode UI
    • Enhanced Linux kernel hibernation support to enable interrupting hibernate requests and fixed various driver issues
  • Various scripts and packages have been renamed from `steamos-` to `holo-`, with aliases to the former names where appropriate
  • Improved support for running SteamOS as a VM guest with accelerated graphics (virtio-gpu, venus)

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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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