SteamOS 3.9.5 goes stable with Linux 7.2, Plasma 6.7, lower idle power on Steam Deck and Legion Go 2 fixes

After weeks of betas, Valve released SteamOS 3.9.5 to the Stable channel for all users on October 23. It's the first stable build of the 3.9 branch, so if you've been on Stable, this is your jump from SteamOS 3.8: a new Arch Linux base, the Linux 7.2 kernel and KDE Plasma 6.7.3 in Desktop Mode (up from 6.4.3). GamingOnLinux calls it a reasonably big release.

What's new for handhelds

• Steam Deck: lower idle power use when no audio is playing.
• Legion Go 2: preliminary brightness control, and a fix for a system crash when launching Forza Horizon 6.
• ASUS devices: a workaround for a firmware bug that sent some fans to full speed after waking from sleep.
• Frame limiter: the Disable Frame Limiter toggle now works with VRR on, and frame limits no longer give lower FPS than intended on some external displays.
• Game Mode: you no longer lose input if you accidentally drag a launcher window around.
• Intel Panther Lake: games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls III run again on these new CPUs, and boot-screen corruption is fixed.

Other fixes

Hidden Wi-Fi networks now connect on the first try, and the Wi-Fi backend switches to wpa_supplicant by default for better compatibility, with fast reconnects after sleep. Valve also fixed suspend and resume on PCs with RDNA1 and RDNA2 graphics cards, audio glitches when plugging in some monitors, and Desktop Mode not opening after a time-zone change until you rebooted. For the Steam Machine and Steam Frame there's better wireless-adapter support, Remote Play without a display attached, and fixed firmware updates. The update also revokes compromised eMudhra certificates for security.

Hibernation still isn't on the Deck

The kernel's hibernation support is improved, but it's still not in the Game Mode interface and stays off on Steam Deck because of an outstanding driver bug. Ordinary sleep isn't affected. Under the hood, many steamos- scripts are now named holo- (the old names still work), and support for Android's binder IPC is back. Valve pushed a matching 3.9.5 build to the Beta and Preview channels with the same idle-power improvement.

How to update

On a Steam Deck or another SteamOS handheld, go to Settings → System and check for updates on the Stable channel. It's a big jump from 3.8, so make sure your device is charged before you start. SteamOS also runs on the Legion Go S and Go 2, so check our compatibility reports and post your own results once you've updated.

Source: Valve's SteamOS 3.9.5 notes on steamdeck.com/en/news, via GamingOnLinux. Facts verified against the original report; written by Overclocked.