With the latest SteamOS update for Steam Deck, Valve seems to have finally solved the hybrid fan noise problem between a PC and a portable console, one of the most felt by owners.
The Steam Deck fan has become famous for making loud noises even when playing very light titles. Some have tried modding the console to fix it, but now a software solution has come straight from the manufacturer.
With SteamOS 3.2 an operating system-controlled speed curve has been introduced to manage fan operation. So it’s smarter now, and most importantly, quieter, especially when the console isn’t squeezed by some particularly heavy game. Let’s read the announcement of the novelty made by Valve:
The team has worked hard on Steam Deck’s fan behavior, and this update includes a new fan speed curve managed by the operating system. This means that overall the system is smarter and more responsive to what happens inside the Steam Deck, and above all quieter, especially in non-intensive use scenarios. This feature has been tested for a long time and we continue to work on improving it, so please let us know what you think. If you prefer the old fan operation system (controlled by the BIOS), you can always reset it in System> Settings.