The Linux 7.0 kernel has merged EFI subsystem updates that include a fix specifically targeting Valve's Steam Deck. Developer Tvrtko Ursulin of Igalia landed a patch addressing frame-buffer issues with the handheld's unusual display configuration.
The Steam Deck uses an 800x1280 portrait panel mounted in landscape orientation. When GRUB displays a boot menu using the firmware's software-rotated 1280x800 mode, frame-buffer drivers would see this "fake" mode and produce corrupted console rendering. The new quirk detects this specific scenario and reverts to the native resolution, allowing DRM-based frame-buffer drivers like EFIDRMFB and SimpleDRMFB to apply the existing panel orientation quirk correctly.
The EFI merge for Linux 7.0 was otherwise straightforward, with this Steam Deck fix being the most notable addition. The change ensures proper landscape rendering with no corruption when using console mode on the device.
