Valve has pushed out updates for both Proton 10 and Proton 11, adding support for Steamworks SDK 1.65 across the compatibility layers. While the release notes for Proton 10.0-4b and Proton 11.0-1b are brief and list only the SDK addition, the underlying update introduces important changes for developers targeting SteamOS hardware including the Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame.

Quick Facts

  • Releases: Proton 10.0-4b and Proton 11.0-1b (released July 2026).
  • Core Update: Added Steamworks SDK 1.65 support.
  • Target Hardware: Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame.
  • Key API Change: Replaced old deck-specific calls with broad Steam hardware methods.

What Steamworks SDK 1.65 Changes for Developers

While the update is integrated into Proton, developers will still need to compile their games against the newer SDK to leverage the fresh API additions. The SDK update overhauls how games interact with Valve's hardware family.

Most notably, the older ISteamUtils::IsRunningOnSteamDeck() method has been removed. It is replaced by ISteamUtils::IsRunningOnSteamHardware(), which returns an ESteamHardwareType enum for analytics, support, or diagnostics. For functional decisions, developers are directed to use other specific SDK calls.

Additionally, the SDK introduces ISteamUtils::GetSteamHardwareDefaultConfig(). This function assists developers in applying tuned default video and game settings for specific Steam hardware, allowing default settings to update for future hardware without requiring a full game recompile. Developers can also use ISteamUtils::IsRunningUnderProton() to check if a game runs via the Linux compatibility layer.

Additional API Additions

Beyond hardware detection, Steamworks SDK 1.65 includes updates across several Steam APIs:

  • ISteamApps: Added SetGamePerformanceSetting() and SetGameRenderResolution() to report user performance settings and resolution to Steam servers alongside optional anonymous framerate data.
  • ISteamUGC: Added new query sorting options descending by parent items (k_EUGCQuery_RankedByNumParentItems) and parent collections (k_EUGCRankedByNumParentCollections).
  • Steam Input: Added action origin enum values for Switch 2, Steam Controller, and Steam Frame Controller.
  • ISteamMatchmakingServers: Added ServerFriends() to retrieve friends who recently played on a server, alongside a "popularamongfriends" filter option.

Alongside these updates, Valve also issued an update for Proton Experimental containing separate fixes for games like Far Cry New Dawn and The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth.