Valve has introduced a serious replace to its Steam software that brings a “recent” new look, higher notifications, a brand new in-game overlay and new Notes function.
Introduced on Twitter (see under), and with a blog post, this is among the largest updates to Steam we’ve seen for a very long time – and as a result of recognition of Valve’s Steam platform, these modifications will possible affect nearly all PC avid gamers.
Hey! We have simply shipped a giant replace to the Steam Desktop consumer. New options embody a totally redesigned in-game overlay, new notes performance, pinnable in-game home windows, enhancements to notifications and extra.Be taught extra in regards to the replace right here: https://t.co/6OWnUQOBqs pic.twitter.com/A9OI8WMaqbJune 14, 2023
Essentially the most noticeable change is the foremost redesign of the Steam interface, which Valve describes as “focused visible and usefulness enhancements throughout Steam.” Whereas the app stays recognizable, the brand new look feels extra fashionable, with Settings and Screenshot Supervisor getting specific consideration.
Higher notifications
For those who use Steam – and in the event you play most of the best PC games it’s possible that you simply do, you then’ll in all probability have observed notifications popping up within the nook of your display whereas enjoying. Whereas these can generally be helpful, most of the time they’re ineffective alerts about somebody including you to their ‘Pals listing’, probably distracting you at a key second within the sport.
So the truth that Valve has improved notifications to be “extra helpful to you” is actually welcome – as is Valve’s acknowledgement that Steam notifications haven’t been nice. With the brand new replace, the ‘bell’ icon on the prime of the display will solely gentle up inexperienced when there’s “really one thing new for you,” and the notification pop-out window will probably be restricted to new notifications (older ones might be considered by clicking the ‘View all’ possibility).
Steam now additionally gives new notification settings that allow you to fine-tune which notifications pop up, and the place they will seem. Hopefully it will put a cease to immersion-breaking pop-ups displaying up whilst you’re enjoying video games.
New and improved in-game overlay
The in-game overlay, which seems whenever you press Shift+Tab whereas enjoying a sport, has acquired a brand new look as nicely, with a brand new toolbar alongside the underside that incorporates buttons for issues similar to chat, achievements, guides and an internet browser, to allow them to all be shortly accessed. It’s much like the Sport Bar in Home windows 11 (which you’ll be able to open by urgent the Home windows key +G in your keyboard.
It’s also possible to customise which parts seem within the in-game overlay, and these settings will carry over no matter which sport you play.
Now you can pin home windows from the overlay to look on-screen whilst you’re enjoying. This may very well be actually helpful for placing up guides that will help you via a tough a part of a sport, or – as Valve suggests – you would use it to multitask, similar to enjoying a video or podcast whilst you sport.
The in-game overlay additionally comes with two brand-new options. The primary is the Sport Overview panel, which supplies you a load of easily-glanceable details about the sport you are enjoying, together with achievements, progress, information and extra.
Valve has additionally added a brand new Notes function, which lets you sort out fast notes and ideas, or paste photos, whereas enjoying. This might show actually useful for conserving monitor of puzzles inside a sport, or for making a ‘to-do’ listing to make sure you get essentially the most out of the sport.
These notes are synced, so you may see them on any PC you employ Steam on – and that features the Steam Deck, which is a pleasant contact.
Steam Deck enhancements
Whereas the primary focus of this replace is on enhancing the PC expertise of Steam, Valve has additionally executed some background work on enhancing the person expertise on its handheld console, the Steam Deck.
Code is now extra generally shared between the Steam desktop consumer, Large Image mode and the Steam Deck, and Valve guarantees that it will imply that any modifications and updates made to the desktop consumer will now seem on the Steam Deck extra shortly.
It ought to work the opposite method round as nicely, and Valve has famous that the controller configurator function of the Steam Deck, which is among the finest instruments included with the hand-held, can now even be utilized by the desktop model of Steam (through the in-game overlay), making it simpler to configure gamepads linked to your PC.
Background work introducing {hardware} acceleration to Mac and Linux variations of Steam has additionally been included, so avid gamers on these platforms ought to get an expertise that’s extra in-line with the Home windows model, which once more is welcome.
To this point the modifications seem to have been warmly obtained by Steam customers, and the replace must be rolling out proper now. For more information, take a look at Valve’s video highlighting the modifications under:
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