Valve has released SteamOS 3.10.0 to the operating system’s Preview branch, introducing changes to the Linux base, desktop environment, graphics support and Game Mode. The update also adds support for HDR and brightness controls on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X20.
The preview build updates SteamOS’s Arch Linux base and rebases its Linux kernel on 7.3, according to the published changelog. Desktop Mode moves from KDE Plasma 6.7.3 to 6.8.2. The desktop update includes accessibility improvements, more detailed system monitoring and a significant update to remote-desktop functionality.
Graphics and display changes
SteamOS 3.10.0 adds HDMI 2.1 and Variable Refresh Rate support for AMD graphics cards. The update also introduces support for VK_EXT_present_timing in Game Mode, a Vulkan extension related to presentation timing.
Valve has included several changes for NVIDIA graphics hardware as well. The preview build contains stability and performance improvements, adds Mesh Shader support and fixes rendering corruption affecting some games. The changelog groups these changes with broader security and stability work in the operating system.
- AMD: HDMI 2.1 and Variable Refresh Rate support.
- NVIDIA: Stability and performance improvements, Mesh Shader support and fixes for rendering corruption in some games.
- Game Mode: New presentation-timing support and changes to frame timing and Variable Refresh Rate behavior.
Steam Deck and handheld changes
The Game Mode changes include improved frame timing when the frame-rate limiter is used with VRR and a fix for screen flickering that can occur when VRR is enabled. SteamOS 3.10.0 also adds HDR and brightness adjustment support for the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X20.
The update includes several system-level fixes outside graphics. Valve has addressed an erroneous “Slow Charger” warning, fixed Bluetooth audio disconnections when switching between Desktop Mode and Game Mode and updated timezone data for Cuba, Canada’s Northwest Territories and Manitoba.
SteamOS 3.10.0 is available now through the Preview update channel. On a Steam Deck, users can select the Preview channel in System Settings before checking for the update. The build remains a preview release, so the listed changes are being distributed through SteamOS’s early testing branch rather than the default stable channel.
