Contents
It has been a long time since there has been such a major update. (Image: Steam – Facebook)
No, no, don’t worry, your eyes are fine. Steam actually looks different and has also launched some new features. Valve, the company behind Steam, announced a massive update back in April. Colleague Sören is already looking forward to it:
The new Steam feature is a boon for open worlds
The update is now live and should already be on your computer. In addition to the adapted design and new features, old functions have also been revised and made more useful.
New look, new Steam
Those who liked the Steam interface the way it was will be happy to hear that the design tweaks don’t involve any fundamental changes. Valve spent more time on details than on the rough structure. Here is a list of visual adjustments:
- Some menus have been made clearer
- The dialog windows were slightly adjusted
- Lots of fonts have been changed
- Colors have been adjusted for higher contrast. Steam gets a little darker and partly bluer
- Main header, settings and the screenshot management have been given an improved user interface
1:20 Steam announces their major Steam update
New (old) functions
Basic systems and features have been completely reworked. There is something for everyone. From the new in-game overlay to notes that you can display in-game. But one by one.
In-game overlay 2.0
The overlay has undergone fundamental changes. (Image: Steam)
The overlay, which you can call up with the key combination in the game, has been completely revised. The user interface has been redesigned and there is a toolbar. With it you can access some things you could use while playing:
- Game overview (game time, friends playing the game, news)
- chat
- successes
- guides
- discussions
- browsers
- notes
Also, you can now pin windows to see them during gameplay. Then really only the content is displayed and the window can be made transparent in stages. This could be especially handy for Achiever Hunters. Or for the new notes.
New Feature: Notes
The new note tool in the Steam overlay. (Image: Steam)
If you gamble, you can also note down important information about the respective game. Thanks to Rich Text Format (RTF), you can even add pictures – even offline, by the way. Then, when you go back online, your notes will be synced across all the devices you’re signed in to.
What is rich text format? Rich Text Format (RTF) is a file format for storing formatted text. Developed by Microsoft, it allows to save text documents with various text formatting such as fonts, colors, tables, images and other elements.
Notifications 2.0
From now on, the green bell only lights up when it is useful for you. On the one hand, this is because Steam only displays new notifications. On the other hand, there are new settings for notifications, in which you choose what is relevant to you.
From now on you decide which notifications you want to see.
Steam is unified
One of the biggest technical changes that Valve has made is the new framework. This is the code base on which the various Steam clients interact. This is intended to create more unity between the desktop version, Big Picture mode and the Steam Deck.
As a result, new functions can be developed and implemented faster in the future.
The Steam deck also gets a small adjustment. The controller configurator is now part of the overlay when the gamepad is connected. Additionally, virtual menus can be used while playing on the desktop.
You don’t have a Steam Deck yet. You can change that here:
Those were the biggest changes from the new Steam update. It’s even more detailed in the official patch notes.
How do you like the new design? Would you have liked more visual changes? What do you think of the new and revised features? Which innovation do you like best and which not so much? What would you change about Steam if you could? As always, let us know what you think in the comments!
