The centerpiece of this update is a 'Spline Collision refactor.' In simple terms, splines are what create the smooth curves for your conveyor belts and pipes. The old system for calculating collisions with these objects was memory-intensive, especially in huge saves. This complete overhaul makes the process far more efficient, which should translate to lower RAM usage.
What does the Spline Refactor mean for my factory?
For players with smaller factories, the change might not be immediately obvious. But for anyone managing an endgame-level production network, this could be a game-changer. It means more headroom to expand your factory before performance starts to degrade. Coffee Stain noted this system is now stable enough to move out of the Experimental branch, so it's ready for prime time.
Steam Deck Gets a Major Tune-Up
Handheld factory builders also get a significant boost in this patch. As part of a push for official Steam Deck Verification, the developers have implemented new graphical presets specifically for the device. The UI scaling has also been adjusted to be more readable on the smaller screen by default, making on-the-go automation a much more comfortable experience.
Finally, the patch squashes a few annoying bugs. The 'Conveyor Belt Item Frequency' and 'Render Distance' options in the video settings, which weren't working correctly for some players, have now been fixed. It's a small but important quality-of-life fix for fine-tuning your visual experience and performance.