SteamOS 3.6 Preview Released With Linux 6.5, Updated Arch Linux & Mesa 24.1

Valve tonight released a SteamOS 3.6 Preview as the latest version of their Arch Linux derived operating system that powers the Steam Deck and can be installed on other devices as well.

Today's SteamOS 3.6 Preview updates against a more recent Arch Linux base, now makes use of the Linux 6.5 kernel, pulls in the newest Mesa 24.1 OpenGL/Vulkan driver support, better microSD card support, improved Bluetooth device support, better performance and stability under memory pressure, and a variety of other improvements.

The SteamOS 3.6 Preview also boasts improved display uniformity, improved display color balance, improved gamma uniformity, better responsiveness of the Steam UI, the KDE Plasma 5.27.10 desktop is optionally available, more HDMI CEC features implemented for the Steam Deck Dock, and more.

With the SteeamOS 3.6 Preview, the upgraded BIOS for the Steam Deck adds overclocking controls for the Steam Deck LCD model, fixes LED blinking issues during S5 suspend, adjusts the power LED slow-charging threshold, and other updates.

More details on today's SteamOS 3.6 Preview release via the release announcement.