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06/15/2023 at 11:15 a.m. The Steam client for desktop systems has received a major update. In short, there is a new framework, a refined look, improved notifications, an improved overlay, notes and pinned games, as well as many other small details.
Valve has released a major update for the Steam desktop client. The update includes all of the new Steam desktop features that were tested and tweaked in the beta, and Valve cares so much about what’s new that they even produced a video about it. In short, there is a new framework, a refined look, improved notifications, an improved overlay, notes and pinned games, as well as many other small details. Valve describes the innovations for Steam in detail as follows:
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New framework, new foundation
Some of the most important changes in this update are not immediately visible. A lot of effort is said to have gone into overhauling the way code is shared between the Steam desktop client, Big Picture mode, and the Steam Deck. As a result, new functions should be developed and implemented more quickly in the future. For example, many features of this update (e.g. notes in the overlay) will be released simultaneously on the Steam Deck thanks to the shared code base.
Steam is getting a fresh coat of paint
The update also brings targeted Steam-wide improvements to appearance and usability: Valve has worked through and updated many dialog boxes, menus, fonts, and colors. Steam’s main header, settings, and screenshot management are just a few examples of the improvements made to the user interface.
Richer, more useful notifications
Steam notifications have been updated and improved. The green bell only lights up when there really is something new. Only new notifications are displayed in the notification window. To view older notifications, you must click View All. There are also new notification-specific settings, allowing Steam users to control what notifications they see and where they appear.
Improved in-game overlay
Valve has completely revised the in-game overlay (accessible via Shift+Tab key while playing). It got a brand new user interface, a new utility and more customization. The new toolbar gives you access to everything you might need in the middle of the game: chatting with friends, progress on your achievements, guides, discussions, a browser and more.
Some windows have been selected, which are activated by default. However, you can always customize what you want to see in the overlay. Your selection is shared between games.
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Steam is getting a fresh coat of paint
Richer, more useful notifications
Improved in-game overlay
Introduction of notes
Pin to games
More improvements
Big update for the Seam client: This is new! (1)
Steam is getting a fresh coat of paint
Introduction of notes
The new Notes feature lets you take notes for the game you’re currently playing. The rich text format is used for this and you can insert images and create multiple notes per game – even in offline mode. These notes are saved per game and synced to any other PC (or Steam Decks) you’re logged into. You can also access these outside of the overlay on the game detail page.
Pin to games
In addition, windows can be pinned in the overlay so that they are displayed in the foreground while playing. Only the contents of the window are pinned (minus the title bar and other irrelevant UI elements); the transparency can be changed. This new functionality is available for Notes, Guides, Discussions, Achievements, and the web browser. So you can track your progress in the game or guides. Multitaskers can even have a movie playing in the background while playing.
More improvements
But that’s not all! The overlay now includes a game overview that shows at a glance all the new information since your last game session – like your achievement progress, which friends are playing the same game, popular guides, news and more. In addition, the windows for browser, achievements and screenshot management have been updated (both in the overlay and in the desktop client).
The controller experience has also been improved. The updated Steam Deck controller configurator is now part of the overlay when the gamepad is connected and virtual menus can now be used while playing on desktop.
Mac and Linux
The technical improvements in this update also make it possible to enable hardware acceleration for the macOS and Linux versions of Steam. These achieve the same standard as the Windows version. The UI is generally more responsive, and animations and scrolling are much smoother.
Comparison
1st place test winner JBL Quantum 910
2nd place Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro
3rd Place HyperX Orbit S
4th place HS80 RGB Wireless
5th place Barracuda Pro
6th place HS65 Wireless
7th place Kraken V3 Pro
8th place A50, wireless with charging station
9th place HS55 wireless
10th Place ROG Delta S
11th place Arctis 9th
12th place MMX 300 Premium
13th place GSP 670
14th place G PRO X LIGHTSPEED
15th place price tip Quantum 610
16th place Cloud Alpha Wireless
