Latest Steam Deck Client update adds a quicker offline mode

Valve has rolled out a new Steam Deck Client update which makes it easier for players to enter and exit offline mode.

The Steam Deck Client update was shared today and contains a number of minor fixes to the Valve handheld console. Perhaps the most interesting fix though is an update to the console’s 'offline mode.' According to the patch notes, Valve has "updated Offline Mode so that entering and exiting this mode no longer requires restarting Steam."

If you weren’t aware, the Steam Deck’s offline mode works just like it does on PC. According to Valve’s Steam Deck FAQs, players will need to be online to download games and play online multiplayer games. That's pretty much a given, but once a game is installed on disk, you will be able to play it on the Steam Deck even if it isn’t connected to the internet. That is of course unless the game requires an internet connection to play.

Other notable fixes in the update include: Adding support for showing the Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch controller equivalents of the Steam button in the footer, adding a new section to App Properties where users can provide Steam Deck compatibility feedback or change their previous feedback, fixing a collection detail view in the library so that pressing B will now go back to the 'All' collections view, and more. To get a full list, head to the Steam Community website.

In other Steam Deck news, it was recently revealed that those who preordered the console for delivery in Q2 won’t be waiting for much longer. In a tweet, Valve announced that it had begun shipping out Q2 reservations and that it will be "ramping up" shipments as of the announcement. So if you’re still patiently waiting to receive your Steam Deck, whether it’s due in Q2, Q3, or beyond - we could be on the home stretch now.

Still unsure about pre-ordering your own console? Take a look at our Valve Steam Deck hands-on preview.

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training. My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.