Latest Steam Frame 0.4.3 beta update improves power efficiency and battery life by up to 12%

Valve has released another Steam Frame beta update, and this one brings a notable improvement to the headset's power efficiency. SteamOS 0.4.3 is now available through the Steam Frame Beta channel and promises longer battery life during both local gaming and PC streaming.

According to Valve, the update improves power efficiency enough to deliver battery life gains of up to 12%. However, the exact improvement will depend on the content being played and the frame rate, so users shouldn't expect the full 12% increase in every situation.

The update also introduces a new accessibility option for eye tracking. Users can now choose to track only their dominant eye by enabling the "Track Dominant Eye Only" option under the advanced VR settings.

Valve has addressed a controller issue as well. Controller bindings should now load correctly in certain games that previously had problems, including Google Earth VR and Thumper. Focus behavior when interacting with grab and resize handles has also been improved.

Finally, SteamOS 0.4.3 includes additional fixes aimed at making VR streaming more reliable, particularly when dealing with "Error 17" connection problems. Valve notes that PC users should also opt into SteamVR 2.18.2 or later to reduce the connection issues.

Since this release is currently on the Steam Frame Beta channel, these changes will be tested first before Valve moves them to the stable channel.