Here is some Steam Deck news for anyone who games with wireless earbuds: MagicPods, the Decky Loader plugin for managing Bluetooth headphones in Game Mode, has reached version 2.0.24. It adds support for more Google and Beats models, brings a big batch of AirPods settings that normally need an iPhone, and puts your headphone battery level right next to the clock.
Developer steam3d released plugin 2.0.24 on GitHub on 6 November, alongside version 1.0.5 of the MagicPods desktop app on Steam, and shared the details with the r/SteamDeck community in a post titled “Huge Update for MagicPods on Linux and Decky Loader”. I have gone through the official release notes and the developer’s own blog post, so here is what actually changes.
New headphones: Pixel Buds Pro, Pro 2, 2a and Beats 360
The headline additions are Pixel Buds Pro, Pixel Buds Pro 2, Pixel Buds 2a and Beats 360. They join a list that already covered AirPods, a long run of Beats models and Samsung Galaxy Buds, plus AirPods 5, which arrived in the previous 2.0.21 release in October. The developer credits a contributor, T3CHNOLOG1C, for implementing the Pixel Buds protocol.
Support does not mean every model gets every feature, though. MagicPods shows battery and extra controls only where the headphones support them, and the official supported headphones page breaks the features down model by model. If you are buying earbuds specifically for your handheld, check your exact model there first.
The big Steam Deck news for AirPods owners
Most of this update is aimed at AirPods, letting you change settings without an iOS device. The one I care about most is the HD microphone mode. Instead of dropping to the low-quality HandsFree profile when you want to chat, MagicPods adds a separate input device to the system with much better microphone quality. Officially that is for AirPods with Apple’s H2 chip, so older pairs will not get it.
Ear detection is the other standout. Take an earbud out and MagicPods can lower the volume, take both out and it can switch audio to the handheld’s speakers, and it can pause media in apps that support media controls. The developer gives Firefox as an example, so do not expect it to pause every game.
The rest of the list depends heavily on which AirPods you own: a three-band equaliser for H2 models, custom press-and-hold actions for each earbud, a choice of which noise control modes you cycle through, the Off listening mode, Digital Crown direction on AirPods Max, sleep detection that pauses media, Optimized Charging control and adjustable volume reduction for Conversation Awareness. The developer also notes volume control options for some Beats models.
A battery icon next to the clock
The plugin change I expect most people to notice is the new battery indicator in the Quick Access header, next to the clock. It has several display styles, can show the percentage or split left and right earbuds, and tapping it switches noise control mode on headphones that have it. It is light blue with the text on the right so you do not confuse it with the Deck’s own battery. You need to reload the plugin in Decky Loader settings after turning it on.
There is also automatic tab switching, which opens the headphone list when nothing is connected, and audio control has moved into MagicPodsCore, the background service. According to the developer that improves performance and cuts resource use.
Steam Machine support and the desktop app
MagicPods officially describes the Decky plugin as working in Game Mode on both Steam Deck and Steam Machine, so this is not just a handheld tool. The Linux desktop app gets its own 1.0.5 update with around 28 languages, a separate scale setting for Gaming Mode, a launch-at-startup toggle and a --background argument, light and dark themes in Desktop Mode, and ten hotkey slots. Those hotkeys do not work in Gaming Mode.
Known issue: pick the a2dp-sink codec
There is one catch. A recent SteamOS update renamed the Bluetooth codecs, which can stop the ear detection controls working. Until the next MagicPods update fixes it, select the a2dp-sink codec manually in the plugin’s Bluetooth codec option.
If you installed MagicPods from a ZIP file, you also need to uninstall and reinstall it. From this release the plugin uses the same MagicPodsDecky folder as the Decky store version, and the developer says your settings are preserved. If the store has not picked up the update yet, the developer also offers the newest build through Decky Loader’s Developer tab using the URL https://magicpods.app/plugin.
Worth updating
MagicPods is open source, with no ads, subscriptions or data collection according to its developer. It is one of my favourite kinds of Decky plugin: it fixes something Valve has not built into SteamOS. If you like tweaking your handheld, I have also covered Decky TDP Tuner for better battery life, the one-tap 16:10 fix plugin and the Float CSS Loader theme. Thanks to u/steam3d and the r/SteamDeck community for the discussion; the full details are in the official release notes and the developer’s blog post.
