Valve has just rolled out a fresh update for the Steam client, which will be automatically downloaded for users, including improvements across controllers, overlays, Linux support, and more. Here they are.
Steam now boasts better “hotplug” detection for various third-party controllers, eliminating many of those frustrating “device not recognized” moments.
Moreover, the steamwebhelper process’s memory usage has been reduced when launching games or switching to and from Big Picture Mode, helping to free up system resources for gameplay. In addition, two pesky bugs have been squashed: games failing to connect when Steam’s process ID hits certain values, and preload indicators misleadingly showing zero disk activity.
On the overlay front, links shared via the chat window now open in Steam’s built-in browser instead of your desktop web browser, so there’s no jarring context switch when you click that friend’s recommendation. In Big Picture Mode, pasting text from the on-screen keyboard has also been corrected, ensuring that your login credentials or chat messages appear as expected.
Server browsing is more accurate now that bots no longer inflate the player count. Additionally, Steam Input includes a speculative fix to address a rare gyroscope bug affecting the DualSense Edge controller, so if you notice odd drift during motion-controlled gameplay, this update may solve it.
On the Linux side, gamers benefit, too: the client will now automatically install Proton Voice Files’ speech synthesis data when needed, making voice features work out of the box. Recording enthusiasts receive fixes for green bars on the right side of HEVC-encoded captures on AMD systems, as well as for green frames in Vulkan game streams on Intel GPUs.
Lastly, for developers, the GameOverlayActivated_t event will correctly notify VR applications whenever the SteamVR Dashboard is opened or closed. VR users also gain a fix that prevents key-mismatch errors in the Steam Link VR client at stream start, and the client itself will no longer reload unexpectedly when SteamVR shuts down.
For more information on all changes, see Valve’s announcement.
