Valve's latest Steam Deck update includes a lock screen and support for Windows 11 installs

[Polycount]

In brief: Valve's Steam Deck is already a great device, but the company continues to update it with new software patches, each bringing fresh improvements, bug fixes, and tweaks. Yesterday's Deck update was one of its biggest yet. It added several notable new features, including a lock screen, keyboard localization, and more.

The update, aptly titled the "Lock Screen Update," is available now to all Deck Owners. You can read the full changelog here, but we'll go over the broad strokes below, starting with the biggest inclusion: the lock screen.

This screen is not mandatory, but you can optionally set it to display after you wake the system up from sleep, on boot, on login, or when switching to Desktop Mode (or a combination of these).

If you want to protect your device from prying eyes should it get lost or stolen, it's probably a good idea to switch this feature on. When you do, you'll be prompted to set a six-digit pin, which can be entered with the Deck's touch screen or physical controls.

Another major upgrade to the Deck experience is the new "Multiple Window Switching" feature. MWS allows you to swap between active windows for apps that use them. For example, if you like to split your browser tabs into separate windows (perhaps for dual monitor viewing), this feature would let you quickly switch between them. The same goes for games with launchers or other necessary background windows -- such as Dwarf Fortress.

Other smaller but still notable Deck changes include battery optimizations, a new Achievement UI for Steam games, the option to uncap the system's framerate, support for Windows 11 installations (thanks to the newly-added fTPM support), and a new "Half-Rate Shading" toggle, which forces "2x2" VRS for "power savings."

Last but not least, Valve has added support for keyboard localization. In your Deck's Settings menu, you'll be able to enable up to 21 languages for your keyboard, which you can switch between on the fly using a new on-screen globe icon.

You can reserve a Steam Deck of your own starting at $399, but your order likely won't be available until Q3 2022.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/94361-valve-latest-steam-deck-update-includes-lock-screen.html

 

[terzaerian]

Wonder how many are just going to make the code 888888. Lol

 

[Hardware Geek]

Wonder how many are just going to make the code 888888. Lol

Why did you have to go and tell people? Now I have to change my code!

 

[Beerfloat]

No no localization not wanted. Please keep squiggly characters out of online games.

 

[dangh]

No no localization not wanted. Please keep squiggly characters out of online games.

That's weird. Why people can't use their own language specific characters in online games? Grammar is there to use, they don't need to dumb down the characters used because someone feels insecure.

 

[Beerfloat]

That's weird. Why people can't use their own language specific characters in online games? Grammar is there to use, they don't need to dumb down the characters used because someone feels insecure.

Oh yeah that's what I mean, localization enables the continued use of other languages in online games. I'd like to discourage that.

I mean, have you ever played on any euro or asian servers? They're just a mess. Like say, a greek logs on and starts asking if anyone else is from there and then they like hug and swap jokes, it is awful. The hispanic community on the local servers is similar. Nothing useful about this.

 

[dangh]

Oh yeah that's what I mean, localization enables the continued use of other languages in online games. I'd like to discourage that.

I mean, have you ever played on any euro or asian servers? They're just a mess. Like say, a greek logs on and starts asking if anyone else is from there and then they like hug and swap jokes, it is awful. The hispanic community on the local servers is similar. Nothing useful about this.

Actually, I play regularly on EU servers as I live in Ireland, and firstly, I was never bothered by using non-english languages in games (because Europe is mostly non - english set of countries and I like that diversity), and secondly - many MMO's have language - specific servers so lack of French characters on a French server would be very weird
And as well many languages gives you option to hide chat from users selecting different language option.
And what with german people buying Deck to play in German mmos? no umlauts for them?

Anyway, I get your issue, but solution is not on OS level but on mmo level. Even if you remove certain fonts, people still will be using their own language which you won't understand no matter if there are or are not language specific characters. Lets hope developers of those mmos will make it easier, but lets keep OS keyboard localization as required, as in any other linux systems. Desk is a PC in the end, lets not make it another 'I know better' iOS