The Steam Deck received two updates this week, with one being an official ready-to-roll client update with quality of life improvements and the other a beta feature showcasing future updates. But key changes include the arrival of fTPM support that enables Windows 11 as part of the beta update as well as two convenient upgrades to calibration settings and trackpad typing.
Previously, only Windows 10 was able to be installed on the Steam Deck, but this beta update remedies that issue. This means that Steam Deck owners will now be able to take advantage of Windows 11’s game-friendly features like a better implementation of the Xbox app for Game Pass and DirectStorage. Still, installing Windows on Steam Deck doesn’t provide the best experience due to the drivers being not quite finished. For instance, the audio still doesn’t work through the speakers or 3.5-millimeter jack. Without the option to dual boot, installing Windows on Steam Deck may not be the best play for those who care about onboard audio.
A couple of other useful features, as noted by Tom’s Hardware, are the added advanced calibration settings and the dual trackpad typing support. While neither feature sounds particularly enthralling at first, there’s a lot to be said about what they bring to the table in terms of functionality.
Using the new advanced calibration settings, Steam Deck users can adjust deadzones for the left and right joysticks, haptic strength for left and right trackpads, as well as joysticks and other sensors on external gamepads. Having access to these settings can help prevent confusion similar to the joystick drift many players experienced that turned out to be a deadzone issue.
Taking a look at the dual trackpad typing support, it’s easy to see how this could add a certain level of convenience to typing on the Steam Deck. This feature operates essentially how it sounds, with two cursors appearing on the screen for the user to keep tabs on their trackpad movements.
For a full list of beta update notes, which covers fTPM support and a new uncapped framerate setting via the Quick Access Menu’s Performance tab, visit here. If you’re interested in checking out the Steam Deck Client updates, including the changes to the trackpad typing and calibration settings, visit here.
Valve stressed that the beta updates were still being tested and that those who download the beta update should only do so if they’re interested in trying it out to provide feedback.
For those still interested, head to Settings on the Steam Deck, then to System, and select Beta from the OS Update Channel.
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