SteamOS update preview brings "initial support" for the Steam Machine, plus new power and Bluetooth tricks for Steam Decks

Valve’s RAM-troubled PC is inactive successful the works

The SteamOS 3.8.0 update is disposable to effort present connected the Preview branch, and it’s the archetypal to bring "initial enactment for the upcoming Steam Machine hardware." That is, of course, simply a passing notation of Valve’s reborn PC container successful the 3.8.0 spot notes. Am I going to prosecute strong, immoderate mightiness accidental excessive optimism that this suggests its caller hold and consequent merchandise day uncertainty aren’t arsenic damning arsenic they look? Sod it, it’s Friday.

Those successful hunt of much applicable updates, and presumably ain a Steam Deck, person overmuch much to chew on. This is simply a wide-ranging patch, spanning a caller graphics driver, improved enactment for OBS and Discord, amended framework pacing with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) tech, clang fixes, and a clump of tune-ups for non-Valve handheld PCs, with plentifulness much besides. I’m astir intrigued by the slug constituent that promises "Preliminary enactment for hibernation," which – assuming it works similar hibernation connected a Windows laptop – would drastically trim the frequence with which I prime up my Deck to find its artillery dead, drained to emptiness by my thoughtless misuse of Sleep mode. Yes, Valve. Continue to alteration my shortcomings.

For now, some hibernation and a "Memory Power Down" setup enactment are listed specifically for the archetypal LCD Deck, leaving the Steam Deck OLED to marque bash with its ain information updates and artillery charging LED fix. Alas. Though LCD hibernation enactment does look precise preliminary so – I've installed the 3.8.0 preview and a hibernate enactment doesn’t look arsenic a abstracted mode to Sleep, either successful the main powerfulness settings oregon the paper that appears connected holding the powerfulness button. Still, promising.

Another item is the fistful of Bluetooth connectivity upgrades. Besides "Re-re-enabling" Bluetooth Wake for the LCD Steam Deck, truthful it could – for lawsuit – beryllium woken from Sleep mode with a BT distant portion docked up to a TV, there’s a caller mounting to alteration the microphones connected connected Bluetooth headsets. I volition inactive mutter thing astir 2.4GHz wireless earbuds being a amended choice, mind.

You tin trial retired the update by moseying implicit to your Deck’s System settings paper and changing the OS Update Channel to the Preview branch. At least, successful theory. The spot notes besides item a known contented wherever attempting to bash this mightiness conscionable footwear you into the Beta subdivision instead, an contented that volition request fixing successful a aboriginal update. Ah, irony: my favourite flavour of bundle update.