Valve have released SteamOS 3.7.0 Preview, which they noted has the beginnings of support for non-Steam Deck handhelds! So we’re closing in on the previously announced Beta for more handhelds. Although this release is still just for Steam Deck.
Since it’s a Preview version you need to have your Steam Deck update settings set to Preview in Settings > System > System Update Channel.
One of the nice surprises for this Preview release is adding the ability for Bluetooth controllers to wake the LCD Steam Deck model!
Here’s the full list of changes:
General
Updated to a newer Arch Linux base
Updated the Linux kernel to 6.11
Updated the Mesa graphics driver base
Desktop mode now ships with Plasma 6.2.5
Beginnings of support for non-Steam Deck handhelds
Controllers and Input
Add support for the Proteus Byowave controller
Fixed an issue where Switch Pro Controller gyros might not work on first connection
Fixed an issue with stuck/hanging controller inputs when exiting Steam
Bluetooth
Fixed Bluetooth devices still being able to wake the Steam Deck from suspend, even when Bluetooth was disabled from Desktop mode
Enable HFP/HSP profiles, to allow using the integrated microphone from headsets and earbuds
Currently only available to select in Desktop mode
Added battery level display for supported Bluetooth devices
Include a bugfix for the Airpods when using the AAC codec
Bluetooth controllers can now wake LCD units from sleep, previously only available on OLED models
Known issue: Bluetooth LE based controllers are not currently compatible with bluetooth wake on LCD models
Steam Deck Dock
Made compatibility improvements for certain displays including TCL FireTV models and Dell VRR capable monitors
Graphics and Performance
Enabled AMD P-State CPU frequency control
Fixed a performance regression for No Rest for the Wicked
Desktop
Updated to Plasma 6.2.5 (previously 5.27.10) – see the big changes in Plasma 6 here
Surround sound now works correctly
Enabling the setting is currently only available via Desktop mode
KDE Filelight is now installed by default for disk usage visualization and low disk space notifications
Speed and robustness improvements when switching between desktop and game mode
Fixed a common cause of hangs when switching to desktop mode
Fixed some cases where Steam could take up to ninety seconds to exit on shutdown or switch to desktop
Added ‘gocryptfs’ support to desktop session to enable use of the Plasma Vaults feature
Misc
Fixed some cases where “filter-chain” or other virtual sound devices would erroneously appear in the UI
Fixed cases where applying system updates could fail if certain configuration files were corrupted or malformed
Various enhancements to System Report functionality for support and troubleshooting
Fixed compatibility issue with certain DNS servers causing very slow domain lookups
Improved responsiveness of system when running into out-of-memory crash situations
Enabled IPv6 Privacy Extensions by default
Known Issues
Creative Zen Air Pro earbuds display an unexpected all-zeros entry under the “Show all devices” section when pairing
Super NES controllers can erroneously show up as connected when they are not
DualShock 3 controllers are currently not able to be paired or used
Developer
Updated to a 6.11 based kernel
Added debuginfod URLs for SteamOS
Added systemd .socket units to the default list of /etc files preserved across updates
When running in a VM, system will now default to the desktop session
Swap file setup now uses standard ‘mkswap’ functionality instead of shipping an ad-hoc ‘mkswapfile’ script
The steamos-readonly command now warns that the status might not be accurate when sysexts are loaded
Fixed a case that could introduce duplicate boot entries for devices manually setup to dual-boot
The pacman cache is now cleaned after applying a SteamOS update
Fixes stale cache errors working with pacman after switching branches
Source: Valve