SteamOS 3.6 Just Entered the Preview Update Channel on Steam Deck

Earlier today, Steam Deck announced that SteamOS 3.6 had entered the preview update channel on Steam Deck. The announcement came after players noticed SteamOS 3.7 appearing in Steam Deck’s main advanced update channel, raising questions among players.

Apparently, SteamOS 3.6 had already shipped to the Preview update channel on Steam Deck to allow for SteamOS 3.7. The update comes with multiple upgrades indicated in the changelog.

The changelog has revealed multiple improvements, making players very excited. The changes include a more recent Arch Linux base as well as an improved Linux Kernel.  Players will also enjoy magnificent Bluetooth connection speeds.

The endless list of updates continues with multiple enhancements to stability and performance in situations where gamers outstretch memory. The update also provides revamped KDE Plasma on Desktop mode, a more efficient Mura Compensation, and tops it up with an updated Mesa graphics driver. Players will undoubtedly enjoy much better performance and stability with these updates.

Unexpected Upgrades with SteamOS 3.6 – A detailed look at the Changelog

The updates increased the overall speed of OS updates. The update also adds a configuration feature that allows players to fire up the system through Bluetooth devices. Previously, this was available only to Controllers. The SteamOS 3.6 update incorporates an incredible user interface (UI) responsiveness. 

Hello! We've just shipped SteamOS 3.6 to the Preview channel on Steam Deck. This update includes a very long list of quality-of-life improvements, and an equally long list of under-the-hood updates. See the full patch notes at the link below.

These features and changes are still… pic.twitter.com/qsTasjzhvv

— Steam Deck (@OnDeck) May 10, 2024

Further updates include additional overclocking controls to the LCD Steam Deck. Players have been taken aback by the magnitude of these upgrades and enhancements on SteamOS3.6. You can look into SteamOS 3.6 on the “Preview ” update channel in the System Settings Menu for personal exploration. 

SteamOS 3.6 Preview Update Changelog

The detailed changelog is subdivided into categories. The General and Display categories have undergone the biggest changes. SteamOS 3.6 also lists major updates under Graphics and Performance, Desktop Mode, Deck Dock, BIOS, Development, and Modding.

The changelog shows it improved session recovery seed after GPU crashes, fixed game session cursor offset alignment, and fixed the misdetection issue of some SanDisk MicroSD cards.

The update also improves display uniformity in what’s called the Mura Compensation. It also improved the responsiveness of the overall Steam user interface and enabled thumbnail previews of videos in the file browser for the desktop mode. 

Frankly, more updates are available on the changelog, and players can expect a smooth gaming experience with the revamped OS.