Steam Deck update adds refresh rate settings and quieter fan curve
If you got Steam Deck, we have good news for you. Valve just released a SteamOS 3.2 update, that brings several important upgrades and fixes to your handheld gaming console. Lots of users complained about noisy cooling fan. Now this problem is finally solved. But there are more interesting new features. Now you have more options to extend battery life.
The new Steam Deck update allows users to set a frame limiter, in order to extend battery life. The default display refresh rate has been set to 60Hz, but it can now be switched to 40Hz. Additionally, gamers now have the option to lock the frame rate at 40fps for heavier titles. These settings are per-game, so players can keep action-packed games at 60fps, but limit puzzlers to something lower that won’t impact gameplay much. Overall, the new update should make for a smoother and more responsive gaming experience. Another interesting note from Valve on frame rate. At 30fps, the frame time is 33.33ms. At 60fps every 16.66ms. At 40fps the frame time is 25ms, exactly in the middle of 30fps and 60fps. This means the game feels noticeably smoother and more responsive without a massive increase in compute power. You may want to lock the frame rate at 40fps for heavier titles instead of letting it oscillate.
SteamOS 3.2 now comes with an OS-controlled fan curve, that works smarter than the old BIOS-controlled system. As the result, fan produces less noise, especially in low usage situations. You can enable the old behavior of the cooling system in the system settings if you want. Valve will continue tweaking the fan control trying to find further improvements. Another way to reduce power usage, noise and heat in 3.2 is to decrease the internal rendering resolution of the game. There other improvements: increased maximum speaker volume, option to quickly format microSD cards and more.
One more thing is rolling out today — support of Remote Play Together. It is part of the Steam Client and is fully supported by the Steam Deck. It allows you to throw LAN parties without having to invite people over. It lets you to play local multiplayer games with your Steam friends remotely, even for titles that don’t support online play. The feature also supports cross-platform play, so your friends can join in using, say, their phones or tablets, even if the game isn’t available for that platform
Source: www.gsmarena.com
