The Steam Deck, now celebrating its third anniversary, deserves recognition for Valve‘s commitment to enhancing the user experience through consistent software and firmware updates. The most recent update may be small, but it significantly enhances your Steam Deck’s battery performance.

This latest enhancement comes via a Steam Deck Beta Client update with brief release notes. The most impactful detail is:

“Reduced polling rate while the Steam Frame Limiter is active to save additional power. This can extend battery life by up to 6% when running at 30fps in low-demand games like [Half-Life 2].”

The Frame Limiter can be accessed in the Steam Deck’s Quick Access menu under the Performance tab. By adjusting the slider, you can cap your game’s frame rate, a highly effective way to enhance battery longevity.

The polling rate refers to how frequently SteamOS, the Linux-based platform powering the Steam Deck, checks to ensure the set maximum frame rate is maintained. When properly adjusted, this feature can reduce CPU usage and overall power consumption.

If you enjoy less resource-intensive games like Half-Life 2, Vampire Survivors, Balatro, or additional battery-saving titles, this update provides a complimentary battery life boost. Owners of the Steam Deck OLED will experience the most significant improvements due to its efficient processor and energy-saving OLED display.

To access this update immediately, you’ll need to opt into the Steam Deck’s Beta channel, but rest assured that these battery enhancements will be rolled out to the Stable channel in the coming weeks.

This update is just the latest in a series of beneficial enhancements that Valve has implemented since the Steam Deck’s launch in February 2022. In early 2022, Valve introduced a firmware update designed to enhance the Deck’s sleep/wake power efficiency, followed by optimized fan settings aimed at minimizing unnecessary energy consumption.

That same year also saw the early introduction of the frame limiter and the capability to adjust TDP levels and GPU clock speeds on a per-game basis, which I still utilize daily to extend gaming sessions without needing to recharge. Valve is consistently refining SteamOS, providing further optimizations that contribute to improved battery performance.

It’s impressive to reflect on how significantly the Steam Deck experience has evolved over the past three years, thanks to a steady stream of software updates. Keep up the great work, Valve!