According to Wccftech, Valve just dropped a new Steam Deck Beta Client update that finally delivers one of the most requested features since the handheld launched in 2022. The November 4 update introduces display-off low power downloads, letting the system complete all active downloads in a special low-power mode before going to sleep. This feature is enabled by default when the Steam Deck is plugged into power, but users can toggle it on or off in Settings under Power. The update also fixes SteamOS updates failing with HTTP proxy configurations and a performance graph display issue during streaming. Users can either manually trigger the download mode by pressing the power button during downloads or let it activate automatically after idle timeout.
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Why this matters
Look, this is basically the feature Steam Deck owners have been begging for since day one. Remember leaving your Deck plugged in overnight to download a big game, only to find it barely made progress because the screen stayed on the whole time? Yeah, we’ve all been there. This fixes that fundamental annoyance in a pretty elegant way.
The catch
Here’s the thing though – it’s still in beta. And Valve’s beta updates can sometimes introduce new bugs while fixing old ones. I’m curious how well this low-power mode actually works in practice. Will downloads slow to a crawl? Will it properly wake up when downloads complete? These are the kinds of things that only become clear after real-world testing.
Bigger picture
This update shows Valve is still listening to community feedback, which is great. But it also highlights how the Steam Deck is playing catch-up with features that should’ve been there from the start. The handheld PC market has exploded since 2022, and competitors are watching every move. If you want to get the most out of your Deck, check out Kai Tatsumoto’s review for some solid tips. And if you’re looking to upgrade your setup, that Chizha Mount Ling Dock we reviewed last month is worth considering.
