Valve rolled out a new Steam Deck update to the Stable channel on April 28, bringing some improvements to the system. As the company gears up to release the Steam Machine later this year, the Steam Deck continues to get support, adding helpful features and squashing annoying bugs for gamers.
While the likes of the Nintendo Switch already existed, Valve attempted to carve out its own niche in the handheld gaming space when it released the Steam Deck on February 25, 2022. Part of the console’s appeal was its ability to play numerous Steam games on the go. Additionally, Valve continued to innovate on the design, releasing an OLED model of the Steam Deck the following year. Since its release, regular client updates have been released for the system.
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Steam Update Makes Improvements to Chat and More
Recently, a new update for the Steam Deck was released, bringing various improvements to the handheld. Notably, Valve made some changes to chat, making it easier for users to use the feature. According to the patch notes, Steam chat can now be accessed via the quick access menu. This lets players quickly bring up the feature while in-game. Additionally, the April 28 update introduced the quick chat feature for Steam Deck and Big Picture Mode, letting users select brief messages by using the thumbsticks that could be sent to other Steam users. These quick chats can be edited by going to Settings and then Keyboard.
What’s That Weapon?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Along with some other fixes to chat, the new Steam Deck update added Remote Downloads Management. Thanks to this new feature, users can manage downloads on Remote Steam Clients on their device’s downloads page. This change could come in handy for those wanting to manage their downloads on a currently inaccessible system. However, it is worth noting that both the local and remote clients must be updated to utilize this feature.
These are only a few of the highlights of the April 28 update for Steam Deck. Fixes and improvements have been made across various areas, including game recording, remote play, cloud saves, and Steam Input. All of these changes put together should make the user experience even better for those playing on the Steam Deck in 2026.
Balance the critic averages
Balance the critic averages
Easy (6)Medium (8)Hard (10)
This Steam Deck news comes as Valve recently provided some updates on some of its future hardware. Specifically, SteamOS developer Pierre-Loup Griffais recently told IGN that “things are going well” as the company prepares to release the Steam Machine in the future. While he stopped short of giving a release date for the system, Valve recently shared details on another one of its upcoming products. Specifically, the company revealed that its Steam Controller will launch on May 4 for $99. This latest peripheral will give players on both the Steam Deck and the upcoming Steam Machine new features to use when playing their favorite games at a lower price than some elite gamepads.
In addition to these updates, Griffais teased that Steam Deck 2 is still in development, saying that Valve is “hard at work” on the future handheld. Unfortunately, there is no indication as to when this console will be released. At least, it looks as though the Steam Deck will continue to be supported by the company in the meantime.
Steam Deck Client Update: April 28 – Patch Notes
We have just shipped an updated Steam Deck Client to the Stable channel.
General
- Added a setting to enable ‘Switch To Desktop’ in the login screen. It can be found in System Settings.
- Added a low battery level toast for wireless gamepads.
- Added a battery indicator to the header for wireless gamepads.
- Updated the Store main menu option to navigate to the Steam Store home page instead of the Great On Deck hub.
- Improved compatibility with WiFi captive portals.
- Improved client performance when there are many unread account notifications pending.
- Fixed a case where opting into the ‘Preview’ channel could silently fail.
- Fixed subtle sizing issues with the Recently Played carousel.
- Fixed the Voice chat tab of the QAM not being hidden after exiting all active voice chats.
- Fixed spell check not working in certain browser views.
Chat
- Moved Steam chat into the quick access menu, making it easier to access while in-game.
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Introduced new quick chat feature for Steam Deck and Big Picture Mode.
- When in a chat, press and hold the view button to bring up quick chat options.
- Move thumbstick and release view button to send a quick chat.
- Quick chats can be edited in Settings > Keyboard.
- Focus will no longer jump to room effect replay buttons when scrolling through chat history.
- Fixed a bug that would sometimes prevent chat history from loading when scrolling up.
Downloads
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Added Remote Downloads Management. This allows you to manage downloads on Remote Steam Clients from the downloads page. You can select different clients by pressing Y on the downloads page.
- The App Details page now has the same options and statuses for remote clients as the local client.
- Both the local and remote clients must be updated to enable this feature.
Game Recording
- Fixed the instant clip shortcut not working for non-Steam games when using a gamepad.
- Fixed a bug which affected taking a screenshot from a game recording clip.
Remote Play
- Added feedback if capture can’t be started on the remote computer.
Cloud
- Fixed an issue which could lead to data loss when uninstalling, reinstalling, and playing a game without restarting the client in between.
Steam Input
- Revised controller settings to reduce clutter and to make them work better with gamepads.
- Changed controller settings to use a menu and details structure instead of tabs to list the connected controllers.
- Fixed a case where radial menus would fail to dismiss after releasing the joystick on Steam Deck.
- Fixed a case where the controller calibration screen could fail to load the correct values the first time it is opened.
