Recently, Valve implemented a long-awaited feature for Steam Deck: support for downloading games with the screen off. This feature is currently available on the beta client and will significantly improve players’ game update experience.
According to the official Steam update announcement, when the device is powered on, the screen-free download function will be enabled by default. The handheld device will automatically complete all download tasks in the queue with the display turned off, and then enter sleep mode. It is worth mentioning that this feature also supports battery power mode - after updating to the latest beta client, users can find the relevant switch through the "Settings > Power" option, or completely disable the feature according to personal preference.
Valve detailed two triggering methods in the announcement: "Press the power button while downloading content, and a new dialog box will pop up asking whether to continue downloading with the screen closed; after selecting to continue, the device will enter low-power download mode. In addition, the Steam Deck will automatically enable this mode after the idle timeout." When the device is in this mode, any key operation or mobile device action will wake up the status interface showing the download progress, and the user can choose to fully wake up the device or continue downloading with the screen closed.
Special attention should be paid to the fact that when using the screen to download without being plugged in, the system will automatically enter sleep mode if the battery power is lower than 20%. Although this will retain less power for game running, it can effectively avoid the risk of data corruption in large game downloads such as "Baldur's Gate 3" due to battery exhaustion.
According to Valve's regular update rhythm, this feature is expected to be pushed from the beta version to the stable version system within the next month.
What do you think about this? Do you like the new features of Steam Deck? Welcome to discuss in the comment area.