Valve rolled out a new one Steam Deck April 28 update to the stable channel, bringing some improvements to the system. As the company prepares to release Steam Machine later this year, Steam Deck continues to gain support, adding useful 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 the ability to play multiple Steam games on the go. Additionally, Valve continued to innovate in 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 improves chat and more
Recently, a new update was released for Steam Deck, 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 allows players to quickly access the feature while in-game. Additionally, the April 28 update introduced a quick chat feature for Steam Deck and Big Picture mode, letting users select short messages using the thumbsticks that could be sent to other Steam users. These quick chats can be edited by going to Settings and then Keyboard.
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Along with a few other fixes to chat, the new Steam Deck update added remote download management. Thanks to this new feature, users can manage downloads to remote Steam clients on their device's downloads page. This change may come in handy for those who want to manage their downloads in the current accessible system. However, it is worth noting that both local and remote clients must be updated to use this feature.
These are just some of the highlights of the April 28 update for Steam Deck. Fixes and improvements have been made in various areas including game recording, remote play, cloud saving, and Steam input. All of these changes should improve the user experience for those playing on Steam decks in 2026.
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This Steam deck news comes as Valve recently provided some updates on its upcoming hardware. Specifically, SteamOS developer Pierre-Loup Griffais recently told IGN that “things are going well” as the company prepares to release Steam Machine in the future. While it stopped short of giving a release date for the system, Valve recently shared details on its next product. Specifically, the company revealed that its Steam Controller will launch on May 4 for $99. This latest peripheral will let players use the new features of Steam Deck and the upcoming Steam Machine while playing their favorite games for less than some elite gamepads.
In addition to these updates, Griffiths teased that Steam Deck 2 is still in development, saying Valve is “hard at work” on the future handheld. Unfortunately, there is no indication when this console will be released. At least, it looks like Steam Deck will continue to be supported by the company in the meantime.
Steam Deck Client Update: April 28 – Patch Notes
We've just shipped the updated Steam Deck client to the stable channel.
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Added setting to enable 'Switch to Desktop' on login screen. This can be found in system settings.
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Added low battery level toast for wireless gamepads.
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Added battery indicator to header for wireless gamepads.
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Updated the store's main menu option to navigate to the Steam Store home page instead of the Great On Deck hub.
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Improved compatibility with WiFi captive portals.
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Improved client performance when multiple unread account notifications are pending.
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Fixed a case where opting in to the 'Preview' channel could fail silently.
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Fixed subtle sizing issues with the newly played carousel.
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QAM's Voice Chat tab is not hidden after exiting all active voice chats.
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Fixed spell checking not working in certain browser views.
chat
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Steam Chat has been moved to the Quick Access menu, making it easier to access while in-game.
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Introduced a new quick chat feature for Steam Deck and Big Picture mode.
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While in a chat, press the view button to bring up quick chat options.
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Move the thumbstick and release the view button to send a quick chat.
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Quick chats can be edited in Settings > Keyboard.
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Focus no longer goes to room effect replay buttons when scrolling chat history.
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Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented the chat history from loading when scrolling.
Downloads
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Added remote download management. It allows you to manage downloads to remote Steam clients from the Downloads page. You can select different clients by pressing Y on the download page.
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The app details page now has the same options and statuses for remote clients as local clients.
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Both local and remote clients must be updated to enable this feature.
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Game recording
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Fixed Instant Clip shortcut not working for non-Steam games when using gamepad.
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Fixed a bug that affected taking screenshots from game recording clips.
Remote play
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Added response if capture could not be started on remote computer.
the cloud
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Fixed an issue that could cause data loss when uninstalling, reinstalling, and playing a game without restarting the client in between.
Steam input
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Revised controller settings to reduce clutter and work better with gamepads.
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Changed controller settings to use a menu and details structure instead of tabs to list connected controllers.
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Fixed a case where radial menus would fail to dismiss after releasing the joystick in Steam Deck.
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Fixed a case where the controller calibration screen could fail to load the correct values when first opened.
