KDE Plasma 6.4 has been officially released, offering a range of enhancements aimed at both new users and veterans of this open-source desktop environment. This marks the fourth major update in the Plasma 6 series, building upon the features introduced in the earlier 6.3 version, and it utilizes Qt 6.8 and KDE Frameworks 6.14.
The developers of KDE Plasma 6.4 are promoting this update as “smoother, friendlier and more helpful,” focusing on improvements in areas such as colour management and accessibility. Notably, it finally addresses an 18-year-old feature request, among other enhancements.
Key Features of KDE Plasma 6.4
Colour ManagementA significant addition is the new HDR calibration wizard in the Display & Monitor panel within System Settings. This allows users to fine-tune colour and brightness settings for HDR content on supported displays. Additional features include enabling Extended Dynamic Range, limiting colour depth where possible, and supporting the P010 video colour format for better efficiency with HDR videos. This update is particularly beneficial for graphic designers, video editors, and gamers.
X11 Session Code SplitIn anticipation of future releases, KDE has begun moving away from X11 support by separating the X11 and Wayland codebases, which will enable more efficient development of the Wayland version, as a considerable majority of users currently utilize Wayland.
Per Virtual Desktop Custom TilingThe update introduces the ability to have unique tiling configurations for each virtual desktop, allowing users to create tailored layout combinations for their workspaces, enhancing flexibility in managing open windows.
Dynamic WallpapersKDE Plasma 6.4 joins its peers by supporting dynamic wallpapers that change based on the time of day, featuring distinct light and dark versions.
Theme and Usability EnhancementsThe Dark Breeze theme has been updated to feature increased contrast for better visibility, and a new setting allows users to hide system tray icons for applications that do not provide an option to do so.
Panel Applets and Better SettingsImprovements to widgets include a graphical view for ongoing file transfers and more intuitive editing for clipboard entries. The Bluetooth widget now optionally shows the number of connected devices, and the Media Player widget has also gained functionality for playback speed control.
General Usability ImprovementsKDE Plasma 6.4 enhances user experience through several small improvements, including a new notification system when apps are in full screen, better access to software updates directly from notifications, and an improved context menu for file management on the desktop.
These features reflect KDE’s commitment to evolving user experience, providing diverse tools and options tailored to today’s technological landscape. For a detailed list of all changes, check the official announcement.