SteamOS 0.5.6 Beta Adds .apk Support to Steam Frame Library

Valve’s latest SteamOS 0.5.6 Beta for the Steam Frame now lets users add Android packages directly to the Steam library. In Desktop mode, a right‑click “Add to Steam” menu appears for .apk files, placing the package alongside Steam games on the same shelf. The beta is opt‑in; users enable it in Settings > System > System Update Channel.

The beta also includes several other tweaks. It disables avahi‑daemon mDNS publishing to stop frame‑XXXX.local addresses from cluttering networks and delays in shutdown. Performance overlay reporting for battery and memory usage is improved, while streaming gains robustness when connecting with the Steam Frame Wireless Adapter.

Valve also rolled out a stable Steam Frame Client Update. It enhances reliability of pairing with the wireless adapter, shows a connection progress indicator, adds a Playtime Mode icon to the notification area, and fixes Wi‑Fi power‑saving issues and a crash in the adapter driver on Windows.