Summary
Valve has released a huge firmware update for its highly popularSteam Deckhandheld gaming PC. Dubbed SteamOS 3.6.19, the update brings a huge gamut of improvements to theSteam Deck, such as enhanced battery life, upgraded graphics drivers, Bluetooth optimizations, and so much more.
The Steam Deck is one of the most popular handheld gaming PCs currently available. While competing handhelds use Windows as their operating systems, the Steam Deck sets itself apart with a slick Linux-based interface (termed SteamOS) that echoes a traditional console’s user experience. Many Steam Deck users laud the intuitive software, and Valve has even confirmed that it’llmake SteamOS available to its competitorsin the future. For now, though, the company’s sole focus is Steam Deck users, who can now download SteamOS 3.6.19.
One of the headliners of SteamOS 3.6.19 is thenew Mesa 24.1 graphics driver, which improves game performance and overall system responsiveness. The OS itself has been upgraded to a newer Arch Linux base with an upgraded Linux kernel (6.5), which enhances security, stability, and compatibility across the system. Valve has also adjusted theSteam Deck’s brightness uniformity and color balancein the display settings, which should result in a more visually pleasing image output, particularly in low-light conditions.
Battery life improvements are another noteworthy addition in SteamOS 3.6.19. Thanks to a fix for a memory leak, Steam Deck OLED users should notice better battery life while gaming, while Steam Deck LCD users will see around a 10% uplift in battery performance under “light load” conditions. This is ideal for low-demand tasks like downloading games, which should now be less of adrain on the Steam Deck’s battery. Additionally, Steam Deck LCD users can now access overclocking controls in the BIOS, a feature previously exclusive to OLED models.
Valve has resolved a bevy of stability issues as well, such as a black screen bug that occurred when switching between theSteam Deck’s Desktop Modeand Game Mode. Reliability issues for microSD cards have also been addressed, reducing the likelihood of problems when using certain SanDisk cards.The official patch notes for SteamOS 3.6.19cover the rest of the update’s additions and fixes, so those interested should definitely check out the list.
Even though the Steam Deck may not be the most powerful handheld gaming PC out there, many believe that Valve’s exceptionally strong software support makes up for the deficit. With the Steam Deck heading into its third year, though, buzz around a potential successor has begun to spread.Valve even confirmed plans for a Steam Deck 2recently, but the company isn’t interested in rushing the successor’s development whatsoever and is waiting for a “generational” leap in performance without sacrificing battery life.
Steam Deck
The Steam Deck is Valve’s entry into the handheld PC market, using a custom Linux-based OS to bring your Steam library wherever you go. Launched in 2022 with an LCD screen, an updated model with an OLED screen followed in late 2023.
