Valve has released a preview of SteamOS 3.8, introducing initial support for upcoming Steam Machine hardware. This update brings significant improvements, including a new KDE Plasma desktop environment build and optimized graphics drivers with performance and stability fixes. It also enhances support for third-party handheld controllers and reduces input latency. For the future Steam Machine, Valve anticipates optimizations for a semi-custom six-core AMD Zen 4 processor paired with RDNA 3.5 graphics capable of 4K gaming at 60 FPS with ray tracing and FSR support. The system features 16 GB of DDR5 system memory and 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM.

This preview build also includes several stability and security updates. These encompass fixes for controller firmware update progress display on the Steam Deck, improved Bluetooth wake functionality, and better handling of HDR displays and VRR. Desktop Mode now defaults to Wayland, and there are enhancements for rotated displays and external HDR TVs. Additionally, the update adds preliminary charge limiting support for certain Legion Go models and controller RGB LED settings for the Legion Go 2. Developer tools see updates like Wayland default in Desktop Mode and initial VM guest support.

The preview signifies a major step towards Valve's vision for Steam Machines, offering a glimpse into the platform's future hardware potential while delivering tangible improvements for existing Steam Deck users. Key hardware details include the anticipated AMD Zen 4 CPU and RDNA 3.5 GPU configuration powering the upcoming Steam Machine.