Bazzite testing-45.20261115 rolls back kernel, updates Mesa 26.2.7 and Gamescope 3.17

Universal Blue's Bazzite project, a Fedora-based SteamOS-compatible gaming distribution, has published testing image 45.20261115 with a notable kernel rollback and multiple graphics and gaming stack updates. The release reverts from kernel 7.3.4-ogc5 to 7.3.4-ogc4.1 after an initial upgrade attempt, suggesting stability concerns with the newer revision. The image ships Mesa 26.2.7, Gamescope 3.17.0, and updates to core handheld gaming infrastructure including InputPlumber 0.84.0, OpenGamepadUI 0.46.1, and UMU Launcher 1.4.4.

This testing release also includes SteamOS-Manager from late October 2026, sched_ext Schedulers 1.1.4 for improved process scheduling, and updated NVIDIA driver branches (Open 620.70.06 and LTS 580.196.07). Desktop environment updates cover GNOME 51.1 and KDE 6.8.2. Bug fixes address AYANEO 3 controller reconnection timing and CEC resume reliability on living-room setups.

Kernel rollback and gaming stack changes

• Kernel reversal: The custom 7.3.4-ogc5 kernel was reverted to 7.3.4-ogc4.1 after being briefly promoted, with commit 4537ad4 explicitly reverting the ogc5 update; an intermediate ogc4 revision was also staged, suggesting iterative stabilization of the OGC kernel patchset.
• Graphics and compositor updates: Mesa 26.2.7-1 and Gamescope 3.17.0^1-1 ship alongside Gamescope Session from October 2, 2026, updating the Wayland-based SteamOS compositor path used for handheld and big-screen gaming.
• Handheld controller infrastructure: InputPlumber 0.84.0-4 and OpenGamepadUI 0.46.1-8 receive updates, with a specific fix accelerating AYANEO 3 controller reconnect after module refit operations.
• Compatibility and scheduling layers: UMU Launcher 1.4.4-1 (Unified Linux Game Launcher for Proton/Steam integration) and sched_ext Schedulers 1.1.4-1 are included, the latter enabling extensible BPF-based scheduling policies.
• NVIDIA driver branches: Both the open kernel module (620.70.06-1) and LTS proprietary driver (580.196.07-1) are present, with Waydroid receiving separate Nvidia-specific packaging (0.1.2-3) for Android container compatibility.

Why it matters

Bazzite serves as a leading community alternative to SteamOS for handheld PCs and living-room gaming hardware, making its kernel stability decisions and graphics stack updates directly relevant to Linux gamers outside Valve's official Steam Deck ecosystem. The kernel rollback demonstrates the project's conservative approach to custom patchset validation, while the Mesa and Gamescope updates keep Bazzite competitive with upstream SteamOS feature parity for HDR, VRR, and Wayland-based compositing. For developers and power users, the inclusion of sched_ext Schedulers 1.1.4 and UMU Launcher 1.4.4 reflects ongoing investment in performance tuning and Windows game compatibility infrastructure.