KDE Plasma 6.7 Released: Per-Screen Virtual Desktops, Wayland Gains, and Classic Themes Return
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Linux Desktop · Software Release
KDE Plasma 6.7 Released: Per-Screen Virtual Desktops, Wayland Gains, and Classic Themes Return
The latest stable update to KDE’s desktop environment delivers one of its longest-standing feature requests, lays more groundwork for an eventual Wayland-only future, and revives a pair of fan-favorite themes from the KDE 4 era.
KDE has officially released Plasma 6.7, the newest version of its open-source desktop environment for Linux. The update arrived on schedule today and brings a mix of long-requested functionality, deeper Wayland refinement, and a notable visual throwback for users who remember the KDE 4 era. This release is dedicated to the memory of Eric Laffoon, a longtime KDE contributor who passed away in May 2026.
Per-screen virtual desktops, finally
The headline feature is independent virtual desktop management for each connected monitor. Previously, switching virtual desktops on a multi-monitor setup moved every screen to the same workspace at once. In Plasma 6.7, each monitor can now hold its own separate desktop, so a user can leave reference material or a video call open on one screen while freely switching tasks on another. It’s a request KDE users have been raising for roughly two decades, and its arrival is being treated as the marquee improvement of this release.
Wayland performance, with X11’s sunset in view
Plasma 6.7 also ships a long list of Wayland-focused fixes and optimizations. On systems with integrated Intel graphics, KWin now enables hardware overlay planes by default, which should reduce power draw and improve performance for compatible apps and games. Compositor CPU usage has also been cut significantly for CPU-rendered applications running at high resolution, and direct scan-out for fullscreen windows is now applied only when it will actually save power rather than unconditionally.
These changes are part of KDE’s broader push toward Plasma 6.8, which the project intends to ship as Wayland-only. That trajectory effectively confirms that X11 session support is being phased out over the next major release cycle, rather than disappearing all at once with 6.7.
A faster Overview, and a friendlier printing experience
The Overview screen, summoned with Super+W, now supports quicker desktop switching using a scroll wheel, touchpad gesture, or the Page Up and Page Down keys, making it noticeably smoother to navigate between workspaces. Printing has also been reworked: the system tray printer icon now displays a live job-count badge, connecting to shared printers on Windows networks is simpler, and a new dedicated print queue manager gives both users and administrators a clearer view of active jobs.
Discover gets a polish pass
KDE’s software center, Discover, picked up a redesign in this release. App listing cards now show more information at a glance, the Install button is more prominent, search results sort by relevance by default, and the Installed page groups software by type, separating apps, add-ons, and runtimes.
Oxygen and Air return, and a unified theme engine takes its first bow
Visually, Plasma 6.7 is notable for reviving two classic KDE 4-era looks. Oxygen, the glossy blue theme that was KDE 4’s default, has been dusted off and updated to work properly with Plasma 6. Air, the lighter companion theme, returns alongside it, both now supporting adaptive opacity, multiple panel positions, and a round of general fixes. The update also includes the first public, technology-preview release of Union, a new theming layer intended to eventually let Plasma, QtQuick, and QtWidgets applications share a single CSS-based styling system instead of separate per-toolkit approaches. For now, Union only covers the QtQuick style and is disabled by default.
Plasma 6.7 is expected to receive six maintenance updates before Plasma 6.8 arrives, which is currently planned for mid-October. Rolling-release distributions such as Arch and KDE Neon’s testing edition will get the update first, with other distributions following on their own release schedules.
