Valve Rolls Out SteamOS 3.9.5 Stable Update to All Users

Valve released SteamOS 3.9.5 to all users on October 23, 2026, publishing the build to the stable channel in a Steam news post titled “SteamOS 3.9.” The release notes cover every change since the previous SteamOS 3.8 stable release, ranging from a refreshed desktop environment and a rebased kernel to fixes spanning Steam Deck, Steam Machine, Steam Frame, Legion Go 2, and Intel and AMD hardware.

Platform and Desktop Changes

SteamOS 3.9 updates the Arch Linux base and moves Desktop Mode from KDE Plasma 6.4.3 to Plasma 6.7.3. The notes point users to KDE’s Plasma 6.5, 6.6, and 6.7 announcements for more detail on the desktop changes. The bootloader was updated to improve compatibility with certain motherboards, and the release includes security and stability updates.

On the wireless side, the update switches the default WiFi backend to wpa_supplicant, a change Valve says improves compatibility with various WiFi networks. Valve enhanced wpa_supplicant to support fast WiFi reconnect when resuming from sleep, a capability previously available only in the iwd backend. A separate fix resolves a bug that caused hidden WiFi networks to fail to connect on the first attempt, and the notes cite improved idle power consumption on Steam Deck when no audio is playing.

Three Desktop Mode items round out the core changes. The lockscreen is no longer prevented from being explicitly enabled in settings, though it remains off by default. Logging in to Desktop Mode via RDP with system users was fixed, and a bug in which changing the timezone could prevent switching to Desktop Mode until a reboot was resolved.

Hardware and Device Fixes

Steam Machine receives several targeted fixes. Steam Remote Play no longer fails when the system boots with no external display connected, firmware updates that could occasionally fail to apply were addressed, and the frame limiter no longer incorrectly applies to VR titles when streaming from Steam Machine to Steam Frame. Valve also fixed performance issues in STAR WARS: Galactic Racer when resuming from suspend on Steam Machine, and the notes cite improved support for the Steam Frame wireless adapter.

For Legion Go 2, the update fixes a system crash when launching Forza Horizon 6 and adds preliminary support for brightness control. Certain games, including ELDEN RING and DARK SOULS III, no longer fail to run on recent Panther Lake Intel CPUs, and boot screen corruption on Intel PTL+ devices was resolved.

Systems with RDNA1 or RDNA2 based dedicated GPUs receive fixes for suspend and resume issues, and a workaround addresses a firmware issue on some ASUS devices that caused excessive fan speed after waking from sleep. The update also fixes audio issues when hotplugging certain monitors in a multi-monitor setup, along with an issue that could lead to GPU errors in The Crew Motorfest.

Game Mode and Frame Rate Fixes

The update fixes the “Disable Frame Limiter” toggle not working when VRR is enabled and corrects an issue that caused frame limits to produce lower frame rates than intended on certain external displays. A further fix addresses a loss of input if a launcher window is accidentally dragged around in Game Mode.

Kernel, Hibernation, and Developer Changes

The Linux kernel was rebased on Linux 7.2. Valve added preliminary hibernation support, though the notes state it is not yet exposed in the Game Mode UI and is not yet enabled on Steam Deck because of an outstanding driver bug. Kernel hibernation support was enhanced to allow interrupting hibernate requests, and Valve fixed various driver issues.

Various scripts and packages were renamed from steamos- to holo-, with aliases to the former names where appropriate. Support for running SteamOS as a virtual machine guest with accelerated graphics, via virtio-gpu and venus, was improved, and the included renderdoc version was updated. Support for Android binder IPC was reintroduced; in the notes for the SteamOS 3.9.5 beta posted the same day, Valve described the change as reintroduced “for real this time.”

The 3.9 series reached stable after a beta cycle earlier in October 2026, when Valve posted the SteamOS 3.9.3 and 3.9.4 betas to the Beta and Preview channels. The 3.9.4 beta notes recorded fixes for regressions from earlier 3.9 builds, including screenshots captured at 720p even when the display and game resolution were higher, and apps such as A Plague Tale: Innocence running behind Steam’s loading screen. That beta also reduced audio clicks on the 3.5mm output with sensitive earphones and revoked certificates for certain certificate authorities with insecure private keys. The 3.9.5 beta notes flagged the idle power improvement, the security and stability updates, and the binder IPC change as the newest additions.

The full stable notes are published on the Steam Deck news page on Steam, and Valve directed users upgrading from the 3.9.4 beta to a separate page covering only the changes since that build.