In early September 2026 Valve shipped a substantial stable update for the Steam Client. The headline changes target Remote Play – including HDR streaming to the Steam Deck OLED for the first time – alongside a long-awaited ability to switch accounts without quitting first.
HDR streaming to the Steam Deck OLED
The most eye-catching change concerns the Steam Deck’s OLED model: games can now be streamed to the handheld with HDR via Remote Play, finally making use of its high-contrast display. Valve’s release notes also list improved video color range „on all platforms“, which should mean more natural colors when streaming to a PC, TV or other devices as well. Users on the experimental SteamRT3 client additionally gain AV1 video streaming.
Switching accounts mid-game
Also new: the Steam Client now lets you change accounts while a game is running. A warning dialog makes clear that active games will be closed in the process. Valve added an „Ask which account to use on startup“ toggle and removed the extra confirmation prompt in most cases.
Linux-relevant fixes
- Fixed framerate drops with the unlimited bandwidth option using VA-API encoding on Linux
- Corrected clipped video on Wayland when desktop scaling is enabled
- Resolved keyboard input issues in the Steam Overlay under Big Picture Mode
- Fixed a crash on suspend/resume after a controller disconnect
Further smaller fixes cover the server browser, Workshop updates and flagging of suspicious chat content. For Steam Deck and Linux users the update matters most for the HDR and color-range gains. The exact availability of individual fixes may vary by platform.
Sources: GamingOnLinux · Linuxiac · 9to5Linux
