Bazzite testing-45.20261031.1 updates kernel, KDE Plasma, Nvidia drivers for Steam Deck gaming

Universal Blue's Bazzite project, which produces an immutable Fedora-based distribution optimized for Steam Deck and Linux gaming, has published testing release 45.20261031.1 with substantial component updates. The release advances the custom Open Gaming Core kernel from 7.2.11-ogc4.1 to 7.2.14-ogc3.1, updates KDE Plasma from 6.7.5 to 6.8.1, and refreshes the Nvidia LTS driver branch to 580.196.07 alongside the open kernel module at 615.78.08. Gaming-specific packages including Gamescope 3.17.0, MangoHUD 0.8.4, InputPlumber 0.83.1-3, and UMU Launcher 1.4.4 are included, with sched_ext scheduler support at version 1.1.4.

The release also incorporates infrastructure improvements such as a revert commit overriding KWin pending Fedora repository updates to 6.8.2, automounting fixes for exFAT with sys_tz support, and a shift to Podman-based CoolerControl container management. Desktop environment images for both GNOME 51.0 and KDE 6.8.1 are available, with Deck-specific and Nvidia-specific image variants maintained. Users can rebase via the bazzite-rollback-helper utility.

Kernel, graphics stack, and gaming component changes

• Kernel: Updated to 7.2.14-ogc3.1 (from 7.2.11-ogc4.1) via two sequential commits, with Nvidia LTS variant remaining at 6.18.56-ogc1.1 and kernel-tools advancing to 7.2.13-300.
• KDE Plasma: Upgraded to 6.8.1-1 (from 6.7.5-1) with kwin at 6.8.1-2, though a temporary revert override is in place until KWin 6.8.2 reaches Fedora repositories.
• Nvidia drivers: LTS proprietary driver updated to 580.196.07-1 (from 580.178.04-2), with open kernel module at 615.78.08-1 and egl-wayland at 1.1.24-1.
• Gaming middleware: Gamescope 3.17.0^1-1, Gamescope Session 0~20261002git.08e65a6-1, MangoHUD 0.8.4-2, InputPlumber 0.83.1-3, OpenGamepadUI 0.46.1-8, PowerStation 0.8.4-2, and UMU Launcher 1.4.4-1 are included.
• System infrastructure: sched_ext Schedulers 1.1.4-1, PipeWire 1.6.11-1, Mesa 26.2.6-2, and a fix for exFAT automounting with sys_tz in jupiter-hw-support.

Why it matters

Bazzite serves as a critical downstream integration point for Fedora gaming technologies, packaging kernel patches, Gamescope session management, and controller input layers that upstream Fedora does not ship in unified form. This testing release validates the 7.2.x kernel series and KDE 6.8.1 for eventual stable promotion, directly affecting Steam Deck users and handheld PC builders who depend on immutable, rollback-capable gaming distributions. The inclusion of UMU Launcher 1.4.4 and updated MangoHUD maintains compatibility with Proton-based anti-cheat paths and performance overlay tooling that Linux gamers require for parity with Windows.