SteamOS 3.5.1: New software update promises many improvements
Valve has released a new version of SteamOS. This brings some bug fixes, but also a new function – which could certainly benefit both the battery life and performance of the gaming handheld. The update should be available for all users.
Silvio Werner (translated by Jacob Fisher), Published 10/19/2023 🇩🇪
The Steam Deck is quite a successful handheld. Part of the success may well be the specially adapted – and Linux-based – SteamOS operating system. Valve has been busy here and has recently released a new software update (to version 3.5.1). This is an update in beta stage and is available to all users if they switch to the Steam Deck Preview channel as described in the changelog. Users should be aware of the limitations of beta software, which is not necessarily bug-free.
The biggest change is undoubtedly the possibility of undervolting, which means that the APU is supplied with less voltage than actually specified. The chances of success of such attempts depend not least on chance – the specified voltage can be considered a minimum. Due to manufacturing tolerances, some computing chips can get by with less voltage than others. Stable operation at lower voltage ensures less waste heat and can thus also counteract throttling. In addition – particularly relevant for a handheld – the power consumption is also reduced, which benefits battery life.
Furthermore, several errors have been fixed and larger or smaller new functions have been integrated. Several changes concern the use of an external display, including the HDR function. HDR output was previously not possible in 32-bit programs. There was also a lingering bug that always left the internal display active, which has now been amended. Morover, problems with the desktop mode have been fixed, such as errors in the color display that resulted from switching to the plasma desktop. SteamOS 3.5.1 also fixes a bug with memory cards that could occur with faulty file systems.
A possibile alternative to Steam Deck: The ASUS ROG Ally at Best Buy for just under US$600
Editor of the original article: Silvio Werner – Senior Tech Writer – 8240 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2017
I have been active as a journalist for over 10 years, most of it in the field of technology. I worked for Tom’s Hardware and ComputerBase, among others, and have been working for Notebookcheck since 2017. My current focus is particularly on mini PCs and single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi – so in other words, compact systems with a lot of potential. In addition, I have a soft spot for all kinds of wearables, especially smartwatches. My main profession is as a laboratory engineer, which is why neither scientific contexts nor the interpretation of complex measurements are foreign to me.
Translator: Jacob Fisher – Translator – 276 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022
Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.
Silvio Werner, 2023-10-19 (Update: 2023-10-19)
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