The portable PC will switch to a low-power setting to complete your downloads.
The portable PC will switch to a low-power setting to complete your downloads.
Valve is experimenting with a low-energy method to finalize downloads on your Steam Deck without the necessity of keeping the device active with the display illuminated. As part of an update currently available on the Steam Deck’s Beta and Preview channels, the handheld can “finish all ongoing downloads in a new screen-off low-energy mode prior to entering sleep,” Valve claims.
I’m pleased this change is forthcoming; I frequently download numerous games and updates on my Steam Deck and have often wished I could keep the display off while doing so. The Verge inquired with Valve about this two years ago when the Steam Deck OLED debuted, and the company appeared to believe the current version was adequate without it.
“We consume a significant amount of power when you’re downloading,” hardware engineer Yazan Aldehayyat indicated at that time, implying that players may not want to unintentionally leave a warm Steam Deck in their bag if they mistakenly think it’s in sleep mode. Valve’s recently announced solution seems to address some of those issues.
With the update applied, when you hit the power button while your Deck is downloading something, you will see a new prompt asking if you wish to continue downloading with the screen off. If you select Continue, your Deck will switch to the low-power setting. “While in this mode, if you press a button or shift the Steam Deck, a new status screen will appear displaying download progress,” Valve states. “From this screen, you can fully activate Steam Deck or allow it to continue downloading with the display turned off.”
This feature is enabled by default when your Steam Deck is charging. You can also opt to activate it while operating on battery in the settings, though if your Steam Deck’s battery drops below 20 percent, your device will enter full sleep mode.
