The new Steam update has a lot of new features

A lot of improvements have been made behind the scenes, but some new features stand out

• by
  
  Owen S. good
  

• on June 15, 2023, at 11:20 a.m

Steam users booting today will likely have noticed the release of the big client update that Valve is officially working on. The update gives Steam a “new coat of paint” visually, promises to offer more useful notifications, and adds a note-taking feature that we found particularly useful.

But for the most part, Valve says the Steam client update’s biggest improvements come behind the scenes. “A lot of work has gone into changing how code is shared across the Steam desktop client, Big Picture mode, and Steam Deck,” the developers said in a blog post introducing the update. They noted that due to the newly shared codebase, many of the Steam desktop client features that are now rolling out are shared at the same time as the Steam Deck.

For useful features, the biggest one would be Steam’s Notes app, which was previewed by Polygon at the end of April. Steam will now also allow players to pin windows from their overlay to appear at the top of the game screen while playing. The developers said, “This feature is perfect for tracking progress or clues while gaming, or for crazy multitaskers who like to watch a movie in the background while they play.”

Those who play on gamepads will be happy to know that the controller configuration tool used by the Steam Deck is now part of the Steam Desktop Client overlay (when a gamepad is attached), and the default menus can be used when playing on the desktop as well.

The full list of changes, upgrades, and quality of life features is outlined in this blog post. The update is free and now available for all platforms (Windows PC, Linux and Mac).

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