It really is quite amazing that Valve has managed to provide so much support for its Steam Deck console. Over the past six months, not only has the company expedited orders, but it has also provided plenty of updates to the console that improve the overall experience. The company has once again provided an update, this time for the beta and preview channels, giving adventurous users an early look at what's to come.

With its latest update, Valve has made improvements to the Quick Access Menu, giving users access to the notifications tab, and allowing them to better communicate with friends through chat messages, game invites, and more. Furthermore, users will now have the option to accept game invites without having to pop into the chat window. The new update also brings increased boot time animation going from ten seconds to 30 seconds. In addition to the UI improvements, there are also a few bug fixes, with most being focused on the on-screen keyboard. Valve also fixed an issue with group chats, where a long name or description would break the layout. Finally, the update adds controller-specific glyphs to the console's lock screen.

Since this update is for beta and preview channels, if you want to take advantage of it on your own Steam Deck console, you will need to be in the Steam Deck beta and preview channels. Both of these channels include features that are still being tested, and by default, the console is set to the stable channel when it comes to updates. The beta channel offers users the ability to test new features, gaining access to the latest Steam Client beta and the latest stable version of SteamOS. The preview channel allows users to test system-level features and access the Steam Client beta and SteamOS beta.

While it can be fun to test out new features, sometimes things might not always work as planned. So, if you are going to join the beta or preview channels, just be prepared, and you do so at your own risk. You can opt-in by heading into the Settings menu, going to System settings, and then changing the Steam Update Channel. If you have yet to purchase a Steam Deck, now is the perfect time, as the company is no longer taking pre-orders and is just fulfilling orders as they come in.

Source: Valve