No system is 100% efficient or bug-free; the same goes for the Steam Deck. That said, the SteamOS 3.6.12 Beta is live, and you can upgrade to it if you like. It comes with new features and fixes, though remember that they are still being tested, so they might not be as polished as the final version.
However, the patch notes claim that it fixes a handful of bugs and errors, which could put you back on track to playing your favorite games. If you’re interested in exploring some options, check out our best Steam Deck controller and how to turn off Gyro controls guide if that has been bugging you on your Steam Deck.
What is in the SteamOS 3.6.12 Beta update?
Before we get into the patch notes, you can install this Beta update by going to Settings > System > System Update Channel. With that said, there are a bunch of general fixes, display fixes, and changes for developers. The biggest one of which we’d argue is a filesystem corruption fix for Steam Deck users on the original 64GB model (which has since been phased out).
You can view the official patch notes here, but we’ve also displayed them below:
General
- Fixed a rare 3.6 issue that could cause filesystem corruption on Steam Deck 64GB
- Fixed a 3.6 regression where an already-inserted SD card would not always be detected on cold boot and would require re-insertion
- Fixed an issue where updates would sometimes be applied incorrectly if the unit was powered off abruptly near the end of an OS update
- Fixed an issue with copy-pasting UTF-8 text across applications
Display
- Improved frame pacing with VRR on external displays
- Fixed an issue where the internal display could be abnormally limited to a lower frame rate after disconnecting an external display with VRR enabled
- Fixed a 3.6 regression where the screen would be blank during part of the boot sequence
- Fixed a 3.6 regression where the frame limit would not apply properly in specific conditions
Developer
- Split package reinstallation step out of the `steamos-devmode` command and into the new `steamos-unminimize` command. `steamos-devmode` now simply enters read-write mode and initializes the pacman keyring for use and is much quicker.
So, if you were facing issues with the display not showing anything during powering up, low framerates on the internal display after playing on an external monitor, or the SD card not being detected, this update should take care of all these issues and more. This should help streamline your gaming experience, whether you’re playing WoW or Fortnite on your Steam Deck.
