Valve has released the first beta version of SteamOS 3.2 for its Steam Deck handheld PC, which, among other things, also enables stepless refresh rates from 40 to 60 Hz. There is also an improved FPS limiter and an adjustment to the fan control for more quietness in light load scenarios.
SteamOS 3.2 Beta is available for download< /h2>
Users who want to try out the latest features of the free operating system SteamOS can select the Beta from the OS Update Channel option under Settings → System if they wish and then receive the SteamOS 3.2 Beta Patch for the portable Zen 2 RDNA 2 game console rolled out .
According to the official release notes, Valve has particularly addressed the issue of refresh rates, which can now be set steplessly from 40 to 60 Hz, the FPS limiter and the fan curve.
- Added an OS-controlled fan curve to improve the experience in low usage scenarios, and adjusting how the fan responds to different scenarios and temperatures.
- Fixed an issue where OS fan control would not automatically resume after waking up the device from sleep.
- Added experimental support for changing the in-game screen refresh rate. The refresh rate will automatically be adjusted to the desired option when going in and out of game.
- There is a new slider in the Quick Access Menu → Performance tab that allows you to choose a screen refresh rate between 40 -60Hz
- The framerate limit slider values will update accordingly, and will include 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, or uncapped framerate options.
- Fixed an issue with typing the € key using the Steam keyboard
- Added experimental support for bringing up the Steam keyboard automatically in some cases in Desktop mode
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The continuously adjustable frame rates and the FPS limiter, which also supports e.g. 12, 25 and 50 FPS or 10, 21 and 42 FPS, can also be operated directly from the game via the quick access, the so-called “Quick Access Menu”.< /p>
Frame rate limit and refresh rate (Image: ComputerBase forum) SteamOS for everyone not released yet
SteamOS 3.0 as an image for PCs and notebooks, the release of which Valve announced very unspecifically with “sometime after the presentation of the Steam Deck”, is still a long time coming. More than one system image for restoring the handheld PC has not yet appeared. The SteamOS official website is still delivering version 2.195 from July 18, 2019.
First-hand experience reports
Players who want to catch up on the current state of affairs can use the first-hand testimonials collected from readers on the ComputerBase forums.
- Steam Deck: First-hand testimonials straight from the players
The editors would like to thank the community members “Northstar2710”, “Werner76” and “LiFeSII” for their comments on this report.