Pinebook Pro/PinePhone Pro Will Be Available Late June/Early July, Plus Early Impressions of PineBuds
We finally got an update from Pine64. It looks like from here on out the monthly newsletter will be posted on the 28th of each month, though this is tentative.
It’s been a whole year since you’ve been able to buy a Pinebook Pro. Now you can finally get one in late June or early July. Price will remain the same at $219, but the small caveat is the battery is 400 mAh smaller than the 2021 models, which had 10,000 mAh.
NVIDIA Driver 515.48.07 Released, Improves GameScope Performance
NVIDIA driver version 515.48.07 just got released today. This includes improved performance of applications run through GameScope, as well as plenty of bug fixes. Full patch notes are as follows:
Published the source code to a variant of the NVIDIA Linux kernel modules dual-licensed as MIT/GPLv2. The source is available here: https://github.com/NVIDIA/open-gpu-kernel-modules and will be updated each driver release. Please see the “Open Linux Kernel Modules” chapter in the README for details.
Steam Deck…in Prison?
Whelp, I found something interesting while I was browsing my Reddit feed this morning. Someone posted a photo of a Steam Deck…that’s in a jail cell.
I’m 90% sure it’s a Photoshopped meme, though. I highly doubt a device like that would be allowed. The Deck in the photo is also mysteriously hovering in the air; you can’t see the hands on the sides of it. In case the background looks familiar, yes, the original poster confirmed this is in Alcatraz.
Steam Deck Finally Has a Competitor?
When it comes to x86-based handhelds, there’s plenty of them. Even before Valve’s announcement of the Steam Deck, companies like GPD, Aya Neo, and Onexplayer were making portable PC gaming a reality.
Up until this point, however, none of them could compete as far as price. They generally cost about $1,000, give or take, giving the Steam Deck a huge cost advantage. Gabe Newell has repeatedly mentioned that getting the cost of the Deck to what it currently is was “painful.
Weekly News for May 21-27 (SteamOS 3.2, Bomber Crew Free to Keep, V Rising Compatibility with Proton Experimental)
Steam Deck new verified title: Duke Nukem Forever new verified title: Super Animal Royale new playable title: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine want to quickly launch apps from the Quick Access menu without adding them as shortcuts? Try SDH-QuickLaunch replacement parts are officially available via iFixit new client update that fixes Remote Play Together, plus SteamOS 3.2 now official with refresh rate switching Native Linux Games Psychonauts 2 gets a Linux port Swordbreaker: Origins gets Linux support Flashout 3 demo is out with native Linux support Bomber Crew is free to keep as long as you grab it before June 2 44 new games on Steam with Linux support Software Updates ChimeraOS 33 adds Deck UI fixes Project Heartbeat gets a new skin editor kernel 5.
New Steam Deck Client Update, SteamOS 3.2 Now Official
A new Steam Deck client update rolled out yesterday. Steam Remote Play Together is now fully functional, and one of the keyboard themes received improved performance. A few notifications have been added. Full changelog is as follows:
- Remote Play Together is now completely functional on Steam Deck. Includes hosting and joining game sessions. Try out a supported game and open the Quick Access Menu to get started. - Added notification when the Steam Deck's SSD has less than 2GB of free space left - Improved performance of Night Shift keyboard theme - Added the ability to name controller layout commands - Added icons for gamepad and mouse commands shown on in-game virtual menus - Fixed being unable to connect to hidden wireless networks - Added time zone region for Saskatchewan - Added ability to close a window if the running application has more than one visible - Added ability to change accounts from the power menu At the same time, SteamOS as a whole has graduated from the 3.
Guilty Gear -Strive- OST Finally Available
I had reviewed Guilty Gear -Strive- on Boiling Steam a little less than a year ago. In it I had mentioned how amazing the soundtrack is. Seems like Arc System Works was aware of that, so they deliberately held off from putting the soundtrack on Spotify or as a separate purchase on Steam.
Well, today the soundtrack is now available for purchase. There’s two discs’ worth of content and they’re $10.
Them’s Fightin’ Herds Version 3.0 Coming Soon
Seems like it’s been a long time since we got an update from the 2D fighting game Them’s Fightin’ Herds. Well, not to worry, we’ve finally been updated on what’s going on with the game.
Last year, the game got ported to Linux. Some time later the Mac version went up as well. Now the game will be heading to consoles later this Fall. While it may not seem like a big deal for us Linux gamers, the good news is all versions will have cross-platform multiplayer, meaning on PC you can play against someone on Switch, for example.
Project Heartbeat 0.15 Adds a Skin Editor, A New Song, and Quality-of-Life Improvements
Project Heartbeat gets an update today. Here’s a quick list of what’s new:
new song: Reprisal skin editor visualizer rework and new main menu visualizer new UI elements rework of the Controls editor sorting system a cross is displayed when a note is missed plenty of bug fixes Check out the patch notes on Steam.
Cover image credit: Project Heartbeat developer
Psychonauts 2 - Linux Version Now Live
True to Double Fine Productions’ word, Psychonauts 2 is now available natively on Linux. The Mac port coincides with this update, along with two new text languages. The stability for the Strike City checkpoint at the end of the level has also been fixed.
They left a few notes regarding both the Linux and Mac versions. Here’s the rundown for the Linux version:
save file location is in ~/.config/Epic/Psychonauts2/ game may crash on launch or when changing the Display settings.