Worth keeping in mind is that this is an update for users on the beta channel. If your Steam Deck isn’t set to be part of the beta, then these updates won’t apply to your machine just yet. However, it’s easy enough to enter the beta channel should you want to. The software was just pushed out on May 19. Making it a very fresh upgrade for anyone who installs it. As Yang points out, these are beta features and they’re being pushed to users for testing. Yang also notes that users are encouraged to give feedback if they have any to share. Which likely means if there are bugs or issues experienced, to bring it to the team.
Steam Deck beta 3.2 brings higher max volume and better fan performance
One of the bigger changes with this update is the higher max volume that comes from the speakers. This should help users who have had complaints about the fans drowning out sound when playing games. Of course this won’t solve the problem if you’re keen to play your Steam Deck in public spaces. So your best bet in that situation is to use headphones still. In addition to the higher max volume, this update also adds some fan improvements that can help keep the Steam Deck’s temperatures down. More specifically, the fan controller has been updated and should now be quieter than before. Which will come in handy for when you’re engaging with less demanding content. The update fan controller is also “smarter and more stable.” So really, a big win here for those who thought the fan was too loud and less reliable. As for remaining changes with this update, the performance HUD now shows VRAM usage more accurately. It also fixes the language dropdown in the Warframe launcher, and there are now more internal resolution options for some games. You can read the full patch notes about SteamOS 3.2 for the Steam Deck at the official blog.
— Lawrence Yang (@lawrenceyang) May 20, 2022
