The newest SteamOS beta update re-adds a great new feature to LCD Steam Decks

Do you keep track of the SteamOS beta updates? Even if you're not a fan of using work-in-progress operating systems as your daily driver, it's still worth poking through the patch notes, if only to know what you can expect from a future release patch.

For example, Valve has just published the patch notes for the SteamOS 3.7.14 beta build. And while the notes consist of a single change, it's the textbook definition of "short but sweet," as it adds a very useful feature for LCD Steam Deck owners.

The SteamOS 3.7.14 beta update finally (re)adds Wake-on-Bluetooth support

A little while ago, Valve released the SteamOS 3.7.13 update. Titled "Out Exploring," the update fixed some really annoying bugs, the biggest of which was the Steam Deck OLED's somewhat spotty Wi-Fi connection.

However, tucked away in the notes among all the good news was this saddening entry:

General

• Disabled experimental support for Wake-on-Bluetooth for Steam Deck LCD while issues with spurious wake-ups are being investigated

Wake-on-Bluetooth is very handy if you use a wireless device to play your games, as it lets you jolt the Steam Deck out of sleep mode with the push of a button. Unfortunately, it seems like the feature gave the Steam Deck sleep issues as it kept waking up without being told to.

Fast forward to today, and we have the patch notes for the SteamOS 3.7.14 beta build, titled "Blue Skies." I'm not kidding when I say that the patch notes literally contain one change, but it's a glorious one:

Bluetooth

• Re-enabled experimental wake-on-bluetooth support for Steam Deck LCD, including support for LE peripherals

Yes, that means that LCD owners can give Wake-on-Bluetooth a second try to see if it works properly. Remember, if you catch any bugs, be sure to let Valve know so it can help get this feature out of the experimental stage and into a proper feature.

If you'd rather not wait for the beta to release on the main branch and want to give this update a try right now, you can enroll your Steam Deck in the test branch by going to Settings, then System, then System Update Channel. Once you're there, grab the beta branch and you should be good to go. Otherwise, if you don't want to use a beta operating system, you can always pass the time for the patch's full release by checking out these things you can do with my Steam Deck that you didn't know were possible, alongside the best $20 you can spend on your Steam Deck.