ChimeraOS 46 brings major upgrades and enhanced handheld support for GPD, AYANEO, OneXPlayer

ChimeraOS Linux 46 has released today and there's a whole lot of improvements for this handheld and couch-gaming focused Linux distro.

For starters, they have a whole new input system they call InputPlumber, which they say is an "open source input routing and control daemon for Linux written in Rust" that "can be used to combine any number of input devices (like gamepads, mice, gyros, and keyboards) and translate their input to a variety of virtual device formats". So basically, it's like a fully open Steam Input and they've integrated it into OpenGamepadUI.

They've also introduced Emulation Content Sharing, allowing a single ChimeraOS device to act as a host for ROM files and related artwork. Additionally this release brings Remote Launch, that lets you launch any game, including Steam, GOG, Epic, and Emulated games via a URL. On top of that they also hooked up GB Operator support so it's plug and play.

Lots of other fixes and improvements:

Drivers

• The ayaneo-platform driver brightness scaling has been fixed, response time from the driver has been improved by 20x, and there is now a "suspend_mode" attribute that can be used to control the LED's behavior during sleep. Suspend mode is not currently available on the AIR Plus variants. See the readme for guidance on how best to set your preferred settings.
• ayn-platform is now compatible with HHFC for multi-temperature based fan curves.
• Added AW87xxx driver. Audio will now work properly on the AYANEO AIR 1S, AYANEO Flip, and AYN Loki Mini Pro.
• Fan control is now enabled for the following devices: GPD Win Mini. AYANEO 2S, AIR 1S, GEEK 1S,and KUN. OneXPlayer 2 and OneXFly. OrangePi NEO.
• Replaced BMI160 and BMI260 DKMS drivers with kernel patches.

Hardware

• Added full support for the OrangePi NEO.
• Added partial support to the AYANEO Flip models. Touchscreen support is still in progress.
• Gyroscope input can now be used on most handheld devices using the DS5 Edge Target Device in InputPlumber.
• The Steam frame limit slider will now properly function for many handheld systems.
• Enabled the built-in TDP control for the Steam Deck. Desktop GPU's can also be adjusted with this slider for undervolting.
• Added TDP control support for the AMD 8000 series into PowerStation.
• Reduced the default resolution on many handhelds to improve performance. This can be overwritten with environment variables.

Misc

• GOG now always downloads the Windows version for new game installs
• GOG and Epic now default to Proton 8 for new game installs
• Included multiple fixes for gamescope and gamescope-session up-streamed from our friends over at BazziteOS. Additionally, gamescope-session has been refactored to be more flexible.
• Formatting or adding Steam libraries to removable media and additional internal drives can now be managed through OpenGamepadUI. The Chimera app interface is still enabled for this as well.
• Fixed a bug where wireplumber configurations could break first boot after installing or an update.
• Chimera splash screen will show a message with current step instead of a generic "Downloading game configuration updates".
• Implemented hiding and customizing the splash screen.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a suspend issue on some GPD devices caused by the fingerprint scanner.
• Fixed an issue where a fix for MT7921e WiFi devices would cause MT7922 WiFi devices to fail. (Legion Go, ROG Ally)
• Removed lib32 gamescope, which caused issues with HDR enabled displays and WSI.
• Fixed Chimera password screen not appearing in desktop mode.
• Fixed custom Proton and configurations not being applied correctly.
• Fixed an issue with shortcut artwork assets not updating.

See more on the changelog and website.