SteamTinkerLaunch 11.11 ‘!Elfeins’ Allows Capturing of OpenGL/Vulkan Games, Brings Steam Deck Improvements

SteamTinkerLaunch version 11.11, codenamed “!Elfeins” came out yesterday. Here’s some of the highlights:
Polish translation updated non-Steam Proton games should now launch obs-vkcapture was changed to obs-gamecapture so OpenGL and Vulkan games can be recorded non-Steam games are now listed as a category Deck improvements; cabextract is now handled automatically, and a differentiation has been added when running the launcher in Game Mode versus Desktop Mode custom Proton list is now automatically updated if newly added Proton versions are possibly missing several bug fixes and improvements To coincide with this release, ProtonUp-Qt has also been updated to fix the STL installer.
Steam Client Update Improves Vulkan Video Capture, Reduces Network Usage on Startup, and Adds Fix for Streaming to Linux Devices

As if it wasn’t enough for a Steam Deck/SteamOS update today, Valve also pushed an update to the Steam desktop client. Again, the list of patch notes is far too much to cover here, but here are some of the highlights:
a Games to Play Together section has been added with your friends who have the same games in common the “updated purchase approval dialog” has been added specifically to Linux and Mac OS reduced network usage on startup CEF has been updated to 85.
SteamOS Beta Improves FSR Frame Pacing, Steam Deck Client Update Improves OSK, Screenshot Management, and Much More

A new Steam Deck client update has been pushed to the stable branch, with the simultaneous release of a new SteamOS beta update. To start, let’s go over the changes for the client.
The page that make up the patch notes is quite big. Slider controls are more precise when it comes to large ranges. Fixes have been added for scrolling on the home recommended screen and the What’s New section not properly being populated.
Steam Deck Client Beta Improves OSK Responsiveness, Fixes Cut Off Buttons and Missing Keystrokes

Yesterday’s Deck client beta update mostly focuses on improving the on-screen keyboard, fixing a couple of issues it had, as well as fixes for Steam Input and Remote Play. Patch notes are as follows:
General
Improved the responsiveness of On-Screen Keyboard Fixed missing keystrokes when touch typing on the On-Screen Keyboard in desktop mode Fixed the in-game On-Screen Keyboard text entry dialog sometimes having buttons cut off Steam Input
Fixed issue where command settings would not save Fixed an issue where Mouse Edge Spin would be more sensitive on the left-side of the trackpad than the right Remote Play
ChimeraOS 35 Adds GNOME Desktop, Fixes for Aya Neo Air/OneXPlayer Mini, and System Update Notifications on the Steam Deck UI

ChimeraOS 35 marks a pretty big release for the SteamOS-like distro. The biggest feature is probably the addition of a desktop environment. Previously, you were stuck in Big Picture Mode, the Steam Deck UI, or the CLI. Now, similar to SteamOS, you can use your living room console or Deck for work or other production purposes, thanks to the addition of a desktop. Unlike SteamOS 3, however, ChimeraOS makes use of GNOME.
Proton Experimental Update Fixes VRChat and Enables NVAPI Support for Several Titles

Today’s Proton Experimental update mostly focuses on adding a few bug fixes for specific titles, but also enables NVAPI for several others. For bug fixes, this is what’s changed:
BeamNG.drive should no longer have black textures videos should no longer be upside down in VRChat and “many other games” CoD: Black Ops II Zombies/Multiplayer should no longer hang on exit Bail or Jail demo shouldn’t crash when opening the ToS In addition, NVAPI has been enabled for the following games:
Rare 1.9.0 ‘Magnolia Catnip’ Adds Desktop Shortcuts, Kinetic Scrolling, and Tons of Fixes

Rare, the Linux frontend for the Epic Games Store, has now reached a stable 1.9.0 release following a few release candidates. Codenamed “Magnolia Catnip,” this update contains over 50 pull requests and as a result packs quite a few new features, UI enhancements, and bug fixes. Here’s just a few of the changes:
games are now run as a second process; this will keep them running should Rare close desktop shortcuts are now a thing kinetic scrolling for touch devices (Steam Deck, anyone?
Project Heartbeat Gets Big Update, Adds New Song, Audio Improvements, and Project DIVA Mega Mix+ Loader

Good stuff just keeps on coming to the anime rhythm game. Update 0.16 gets plenty of features and bug fixes, ranging from an updated audio engine to support of the songs from Project DIVA Mega Mix+. Here’s the list of updates:
new song: Confession, by Takanashi Koubou updated audio engine, which “achieves higher levels of memory safety and performance while using less memory” (should produce a 10% improvement in memory consumption and faster loading times, maybe this will increase the Deck’s battery life as well?
Godot 4 Is Finally Here! (As Beta)

Man. This has been a long release in the making. But it’s finally here: Godot 4. After several alpha releases, it’s now hit beta. While it may be in beta, it has entered a feature-freeze state, meaning that once Godot 4 has become stable, it’s still going to be the same thing that you’ve got now, only that the bugs have been ironed out.
For those not aware, Godot is a great FOSS alternative to engines like Unity and Unreal Engine.
GE-Proton7-33 Pulls In Latest Wine Fixes for GTA V, RDR2, BioShock Collection

Remember that so-called “Quality of Life” update that 2K recently pushed out for the BioShock series? Remember how it added a launcher and as a result got review bombed on Steam? Remember how it broke Proton compatibility?
Well, GE-Proton7-33 is here to the rescue. Yes, you’ll still have to deal with the launcher, but the games should now work. Not only this, but Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V have also received fixes, thanks to GE-Proton7-33 pulling in the latest changes from Wine.