The Steam Deck's Client recently received an update focused on performance improvements and quality-of-life upgrades. According to the official release notes, it brings faster loading, UI tweaks, Steam Input changes, and more. We loaded up the update to see how it impacts the experience.
Breakdown of updates below:
General Updates
Improved library performance for users with large numbers of collections.
Fixed a hitch that some players with large libraries might encounter every 15 minutes while playing a game.
Fixed presentation and localization of items in the Special Offers section.
Fixed notifications for achievements not firing when offline.
Fixed a case where the wrong FPS limit could be applied on startup.
Fixed a case where the controller input thread could operate at normal instead of high scheduling priority.
Fixed styling on the login error screen and made the retry button accessible to the gamepad.
Library Updates
Stream Input Updates
Desktop Mode Updates
Developer Console Updates
Our Take
The optimizations for library loading and hitching are excellent. We noticed much faster loading after updating. The quality of life UI changes, like the overlay browser updates, are great to see too. We're particularly excited to try the new Steam Input copy/paste feature for simplified controller configuration. And under-the-hood console improvements may help developers debug issues.
While not flashy, updates like this are important for continuously improving the Steam Deck experience over time. The performance fixes and UX polish address pain points in the user experience. Kudos to Valve for the focus on refinement.
Closing Thoughts
This update shows Valve's commitment to improving the Steam Deck over time. The performance fixes and quality of life improvements make a tangible difference in everyday use. We hope to see more updates like this that polish rough edges and make the Steam Deck feel smoother as a handheld gaming PC. Have you tried the latest update? Let us know your experience with these changes on Twitter!
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