In brief: Since Valve launched the Steam Deck, the portable gaming PC has picked up more of Steam's desktop feature set. The latest update adds a significant piece of multiplayer functionality and makes tweaking performance simpler.

This week's Steam Deck software update makes Remote Play Together fully operational on the handheld. Users can now join and host online sessions in games with only local multiplayer.

Valve introduced the feature to Steam in 2019, which lets one user stream a game to friends who can send back their inputs to particulate in local multiplayer, while only the host needs to own a copy of the game. Steam Deck verified games supporting Remote Play Together include NBA 2K22, Stardew Valley, Euro Truck Simulator 2, Cuphead, and others.

The patch also refines some useful tools Valve previously introduced. A couple of weeks ago, users gained the ability to control the Steam Deck's clock speed, power draw, resolution, and screen refresh rate on a per-game basis. Now, users can more easily set the refresh rate and fan speed, as less demanding games should allow for a quieter fan.

Another minor update is a new quick format option that should simplify loading new microSD cards. The other changes in this patch primarily relate to the user interface and minor bug fixes.