Valve just delivered a fresh update for Steam Deck owners concerned about their device’s battery longevity-and it’s more than just a routine patch. The new beta update introduces a long-requested feature: users can now cap the maximum battery charge at 80%, helping to preserve battery health over years of portable gaming. For anyone who keeps their Deck plugged in for long sessions or docked setups, this is a timely move straight from the playbook of premium laptops and flagship phones.
For those eager to test the new features immediately, accessing the beta is simple: just toggle the Steam Deck’s update channel to “beta” under system settings. You’ll gain early access to tweaks before they roll out to the stable branch, and you can always switch back if needed.
The star of the show is the new 80% charge limiter, now tucked into the Power submenu. Why does this matter? Lithium-ion batteries degrade faster when kept at high charge levels for extended periods. By letting users cap the battery at 80%, Valve is helping fend off long-term capacity loss—especially useful for anyone who leaves their Deck docked or plugged in all day. This is a feature seen in higher-end laptops, but it’s rare in gaming handhelds, making Valve’s move both practical and forward-thinking.
Valve didn’t stop at the charge cap. Power settings have been consolidated for convenience: display dim, suspend timeout, and the show battery percentage toggle all now reside within the Power submenu. This streamlines the user experience, making power management less of a scavenger hunt through multiple menus.
Minor fixes round out the update: pasting text with the on-screen keyboard should be smoother, and Valve has pushed a speculative fix for a quirk with Sony’s DualSense Edge controller. Some users reported that the Deck would recognize this premium controller as a standard PS5 pad, causing gyro features to fail—a subtle but welcome quality-of-life fix if it works as intended.
It’s worth noting that capping battery charge may limit playtime between charges—possibly a tradeoff for those who value every extra minute of portable gaming. Still, for users prioritizing device longevity, the addition is a smart insurance policy against battery fatigue. Valve’s willingness to implement such features shows their ongoing commitment to the Deck as a long-term platform rather than a disposable gadget.
Long-term, we’ll be watching to see if more handheld devices follow suit—and how many Deck owners embrace the charge cap, given the always-limited battery life of portable PCs. For now, this update is a small but meaningful win for both tinkerers and everyday gamers looking to extend their handheld’s lifespan.
TL;DR: Valve’s latest Steam Deck beta update introduces an 80% battery charge cap for better battery health, regrouped power settings, and minor fixes. It’s available now for beta users, signaling Valve’s ongoing push for device longevity and smarter power management.
Source: Valve via GamesPress