Valve has announced the launch of Steam OS 3.8.10, which includes a variety of updates. These range from initial support to upcoming Steam engine hardware and improvements for third-party portable devices in HDMI VRR support for devices with native HDMI output and the integration of KDE Plasma 6.4.3 in desktop mode. The update is now available to all SteamOS users.
This release comes ahead of the scheduled launch of the Steam Machine on June 30 and represents Valve’s continued efforts to expand SteamOS beyond Steam Deck hardware.
General improvements, display and performance
The recent update includes a number of improvements. Update the base Arch Linux system. Support has been added for the upcoming Steam Machine hardware.
Users can now wake their device from sleep mode using a connected Steam Controller. The speed of future operating system updates has been significantly improved on high-speed Internet connections.
Improved screen casting in Game Mode for tools like OBS and Discord. Some games experienced issues with dropdown menus not appearing, which has now been fixed.
There was also an issue with the trackpad being overly sensitive on certain early Steam Deck LCD models that has been fixed. Improved support for opening PDF files in external viewers for better compatibility with games. Fixed an issue that caused the video output to freeze during remote play.
Additionally, several game-specific issues have been resolved, including fixes for STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor, Starfield, and SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide.
Display-related updates include updates to the graphics driver, which now offers improved performance and stability. Added HDMI VRR support on devices with native HDMI output, along with improvements to VRR frame rate.
Implemented the fix so that the FSR badge would remain off in the performance overlay when active. Additional graphical features required for Crimson Desert are now available.
Finally, fixed a TCL TV issue where the screen could remain blank when using the Steam Deck Dock with VRR enabled, requiring a dock firmware update.
Changes to audio, Bluetooth and desktop mode
Audio improvements include several upgrades. The system now automatically detects the HDMI channel count and displays the surround sound settings when available.
A new setting allows users to enable microphones on Bluetooth headphones, although this may reduce playback quality during active capture.
Increased the sleep timeout for HDMI devices to prevent audio dropout in the first few seconds after resuming. The internal audio device is now restored on reboot if it was previously set to Off in desktop mode. Problems with
Fixed WiFi performance causing degradation requiring manual suspension or reconnection. Additionally, support for activating the device via Bluetooth on the Steam Deck LCD screen has been re-enabled.
Desktop Mode brings several important changes:
- KDE Plasma has been updated from version 6.2.5 to 6.4.3 and now defaults to Wayland.
- The update fixes performance issues that were present in desktop mode compared to gaming mode.
- Improved support for rotated screens, along with better scaling options for TVs.
- External HDR displays and VRR displays are now supported, as well as per-display scaling factors.
- Language settings and keyboard layout now follow game mode settings.
- Additionally, window behavior for Proton games has been improved.
Firmware improvements for third-party portable devices and Steam Decks
SteamOS 3.8.10 expands hardware support beyond the Steam Deck, including better support for recent Intel and AMD platforms.
It also introduces significant improvements to video memory management on discrete GPU systems and fixes issues that could cause boot failures on some desktop systems with recent UEFI firmware.
Specific device updates include improved driver support for devices such as:
- The OneXPlayer F1 series, GPD Win 5, GPD Win Mini, Anbernic Win600, OrangePi NEO and Lenovo Legion Go.
- Added support for OneXPlayer X1 and Lenovo Legion Go 2 series controllers, along with system and controller firmware update options for Legion Go 2.
- Preliminary support for load throttling is now available for Legion Go, Legion Go S, and Legion Go 2, although this feature is currently limited to desktop mode.
- Additionally, Lenovo Legion Go 2 now features an adjustable RGB LED color controller.
- Support has been expanded to controllers and features such as TDP control and speaker audio for the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally series.
- Handheld controller input latency has been reduced from 5 to 8 milliseconds to 100 to 500 microseconds.
- New support has been added for MSI Claw devices, including the A1M, 7 AI+ A2VM, 8 AI+ A2VM and A8 BZ2EM models. Firmware updates for upcoming Intel portable devices are also included.
- Several device-specific issues have been fixed, including faded colors on Zotac and OneXPlayer OLED handhelds, GPU crashes on Phoenix APU devices, fingerprint reader power consumption on ASUS ROG Ally during shutdown, and trackpad crashes after sleep mode on Legion Go.
- Regarding Steam Deck firmware updates, the LCD is now running BIOS version 133, which introduces a memory shutdown setting, initial hibernation support, and security updates.
- Steam Deck OLED has received BIOS version 114, which changes the behavior of the charging LED to indicate the charging limit instead of just full charging and includes security improvements.
Developer changes and how to update
Desktop mode now defaults to Wayland, and X11 can still be accessed through Steam Developer Settings or via steamosctl. Other updates aimed at developers include an updated Linux kernel to version 6.16.
Steam now uses steamos-manager to check desktop sessions and manage changes. It is now possible to set desktop passwords in developer settings.
SteamOS has initial support for running as a guest virtual machine using virtio guest drivers. Additionally, third-party devices can activate the SteamOS boot menu via EFI variables. There is also initial support for the LAVD CPU scheduler.
SteamOS 3.8.10 is now available to all users. Steam Deck owners and compatible devices can update through Steam by navigating to Settings and then System.
Those running SteamOS on PC or third-party portable devices with the experimental installer should follow the same process.
For first-time installations of SteamOS on a PC, Valve continues to recommend AMD-based systems paired with a SteamOS-dedicated NVMe SSD. Nvidia GPUs are not officially supported; for those configurations, Bazzite or Nobara are suggested as alternatives.
This update arrives ahead of the launch of Steam Machines on June 30 and supports Valve’s broader effort to expand SteamOS support to more third-party hardware.
