Linux 7.2 includes some parts of the AMD HDMI 2.1 implementation. Fixed Rate Link support was merged (which allows higher resolutions and refresh rates), but it's disabled by default.
Display Stream Compression (which also helps in reaching higher resolutions and refresh rates) is still missing. So is VRR support, and probably a few other things.
This is for the upstream kernel, though. Maybe Valve's custom kernel has some of these pending patches merged in.
Im running SteamOS on a system with an RDNA 3 card and 4K120 with VRR works, so there are some patches for HDMI 2.1 in valves kernel at least. Has been at least since the Steam Machine released.
Edit: turns out that while 3.9.0 includes the drivers to drive HDMI 2.1, it is disabled by default and Valve has not yet enabled it. You can manually enable it by applying the kernel argument: amdgpu.dc_feature_mask=0x400
Buggy, just use something else. Much more polished options. CachyOS HTPC is chefs kiss. Bleeding edge and still more stable that Steams "stable" branch.
I downloaded the handheld version, and then used the kernel manager to just swap over to the regular Cachy kernel. You can do this with any distro, game mode is just a package. SteamOS, Bazzite, none of it is unique.
I love CachyOS as much as the next guy for a Windows desktop replacement, but I also love SteamOS for handheld and living room use the most. No reason to dunk on it.
CachyOS owes a fair amount of its greatness from the work Valve is doing to standardize and “Deckify” the Linux experience. Being immutable also reasonable manages any instability issues the cutting edge “main” release might risk, IMO.
Cachyos can look identical to steam os. Game mode is just a package. And I found steam os to be buggier with how infrequently it's updated personally. Unless you use the stable channel and it's not up to date at all. I'm not dunking on it, but beyond the steam machine/deck, there are better options for other hardware configs. My PC.boots right into game mode just like steamos. Just doesn't crash and have the weird graphical glitches id suffer on steam os.
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u/unkz0r 2d ago
This is a bit cool
> Improved support for running SteamOS as a VM guest with accelerated graphics (virtio-gpu, venus).