Valve has officially released SteamOS 3.8.10 to all users, bringing one of the biggest SteamOS updates in recent times. The new stable release introduces support for the upcoming Steam Machine, new BIOS updates for both Steam Deck models, performance improvements, better compatibility for third-party handhelds, and a long list of fixes across the operating system.

What does the new SteamOS update offer?

General

• Updated Arch system base
• Initial support for upcoming Steam Machine hardware
• Added support for waking from sleep via connected Steam Controller
• Substantially improved speed of future OS updates on high-speed connections
• Improved support for screen casting in Game Mode (e.g. OBS/Discord)
• Fixed dropdown menus not appearing in some games
• Fixed excessive trackpad sensitivity on certain early Steam Deck LCD models
• Improved support for games that attempt to open PDF files in external viewers
• Fixed an issue where video output could become frozen while using Remote Play
• Fixed a possible session crash when using Game Recording with certain “Maximum video height” settings
• Fixed an issue affecting certain titles (such as “SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide”) where the game window could have an incorrect position
• Fixed closing certain titles (such as “STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor™” and Starfield) resulting in a session crash
• Improved support for certain USB racing wheels and USB devices that boot in a non-standard mode
  • Frequently these are devices that appear as USB storage devices with a driver installer, and must be switched to their normal mode by the OS
• Steam Deck controller firmware updates now display update progress on the splash screen
• Fixes issue on specific Steam Deck revisions where firmware updates could render the left controller inoperative for that session
• Numerous stability and security updates

SteamOS 3.8.10 general updates – full patch notes on Steam Community

One of the most notable additions is initial support for the upcoming Steam Machine hardware. Valve hasn’t shared many details about the device’s launch yet, but the inclusion of support in the latest stable SteamOS build suggests that preparations for the new hardware are well underway.

Steam Deck users are also getting several useful upgrades. SteamOS 3.8.10 adds support for waking the device from sleep using a connected Steam Controller, improves screen casting support for applications like OBS and Discord, and significantly speeds up future operating system updates on high-speed internet connections.

Valve has also addressed a variety of bugs and stability issues. The update fixes problems that could cause session crashes in certain games, improves support for external PDF viewers, resolves Remote Play video freezing issues, and fixes excessive trackpad sensitivity on some early Steam Deck LCD units.

On the performance side, SteamOS 3.8.10 ships with updated graphics drivers that bring both stability and performance improvements. Valve has also added preliminary support for HDMI Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) on devices with native HDMI output, improved VRR frame pacing, and added missing graphics features required by upcoming games such as Crimson Desert.

For the Desktop Mode, KDE Plasma has been updated from version 6.2.5 to 6.4.3 and now uses Wayland by default. Users can also benefit from improved support for HDR displays, VRR displays, per-display scaling options, better TV support, and improved Proton window behavior.

The update also includes Wi-Fi improvements, Bluetooth fixes, better audio handling, Linux kernel 6.16, Virtual Machine guest support, and numerous security updates. That said, these are only some of the biggest additions included in SteamOS 3.8.10. For the complete list of changes, you can check out the official SteamOS 3.8.10 patch notes.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.