YouTuber The Phawx recently uploaded a video that lowers the Steam Deck’s refresh rate to 40 Hz for smoother gameplay. However, it was done through Windows. Well, now it’s possible to lower the refresh rate on the Steam Deck than the default 60 Hz with Valve’s SteamOS. Additionally, users have better control over the device’s fan “to improve the experience in low usage scenarios.” Here’s the patch notes for SteamOS 3.2:

  • Added an OS-controlled fan curve to improve the experience in low usage scenarios, and adjusting how the fan responds to different scenarios and temperatures.
  • Fixed an issue where OS fan control would not automatically resume after waking up the device from sleep.
  • Added experimental support for changing the in-game screen refresh rate. The refresh rate will automatically be adjusted to the desired option when going in and out of game.
    • There is a new slider in the Quick Access Menu > Performance tab that allows you to choose a screen refresh rate between 40-60Hz
    • The framerate limit slider values will update accordingly, and will include 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, or uncapped framerate options.
  • Fixed an issue with typing the € key using the Steam keyboard
  • Added experimental support for bringing up the Steam keyboard automatically in some cases in Desktop mode

Keep in mind this is a beta release; you can opt-in by selecting Beta from the OS Update Channel under “Settings -> System.” Do let Valve know your experience with it; they’re very quick to push out updates and bug fixes.

The adjustable refresh rate in particular is a great feature to have. Not only will it provide smoother gameplay for games that can’t quite reach 60 FPS, but it should help in preserving the Deck’s battery life as well.