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Dec 02, 2023

Steam Deck Beta update, plus easy Flatpak updates and more HDR teasing

Three fun bits for you today including Steam desktop and Steam Deck Beta

Three fun bits for you today including Steam desktop and Steam Deck Beta updates, an easy way to update third-party Flatpaks on Steam Deck in Gaming Mode and another HDR teaser from Valve.

Here's a video overview going over all of it, with the plain details below the video:

Firstly, the Beta updates for Steam desktop and Steam Deck starting with the Steam Deck Client Beta:

General

New Big Picture Mode

Steam Input

Linux

The desktop Steam Beta update is largely the same, except for a note about it fixing an issue with "duplicate streaming dialogs appearing on Mac & Linux". However, as shown in my video, the new controller options don't actually show up on Steam Deck, only on desktop PCs.

For Steam Deck owners who have installed third-party software in desktop mode via the Discover app, there's an easy way to get Gaming Mode to run updates for those Flatpak packages using Decky Loader thanks to the Flatpak Updates plugin. How to actually use Decky Loader and the Flatpak Updater plugin is noted in the above video, with the plain instructions on the Decky Loader link. I do love all these plugins — so useful!

Finally, Valve developer Pierre-Loup Griffais gave another teaser on Twitter in regards to HDR support noting: "HDR working on a docked Deck connected to a current-gen LG OLED through HDMI! Again still needs a ton of work but making good progress.", with this shot included:

Image Credit: Pierre-Loup Griffais