On Thursday, Valve began rolling out SteamOS 3.2 for Steam Deck, addressing one of the most prominent issues people have had with the handheld since its release. According to the company, the update introduces an “all new OS-driven fan curve”. Valve claims that Steam Deck’s internal fan can respond to heat quickly and intelligently. For its part, the company says the part can do its job more quietly, especially “in low-use situations.”
“This has been extensively tested and we continue to work on improvements – so please let us know what you think,” said Valve. Excessive fan noise is something that many reviewers, including Engadget’s Jessica Conditt, mentioned in their Steam Deck reviews. When iFixit started selling replacement parts for the handheld early last week, the Huaying fan units sold out quickly. Valve bought fans for Steam Deck from two companies, with Huaying’s making less noise, according to some owners.
SteamOS 3.2 also introduces an option to adjust the refresh rate of the handheld’s display during gameplay. Valve recommends Steam Deck owners set their device to 40 Hz for the sweet spot between responsiveness and battery life. It is now also possible to turn up the volume of the Steam Deck speakers even higher, and the company has made formatting microSD cards faster. Check out the full changelog for SteamOS 3.2 on Valve’s website.
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