The new Steam client update looks funky, comes with new features

Take note…literally

Valve’s biggest money spinner, Steam, is consistently being tweaked, and this latest update brings some visual changes to the client, as well as some new features. Whether you use the PC gaming storefront on desktop, mobile, or Steam Deck, you’ll have noticed a few differences lately.

A short video highlights the new features that have been implemented. In a nutshell, the general layout has been given a “fresh coat of paint.” Not so much that it doesn’t look like Steam anymore. But is a bit different.

Valve has also made notifications “richer and more useful.” Make of that what you will. You’ll also notice the in-game overlay has been tweaked and now boasts more options for “better customization”. One of the newest things to be added is a Notes feature which, as the name suggests, allows you to take notes during play. You can even pin it so it stays on top of your game in case you need to refer to it. There have also been some improvements to controller experiences as well, which adds a gamepad overlay and additional “virtual menus”.

If you use Steam on Mac or Linux machines, the new update also enables hardware acceleration for these versions of the client, which should lead to a more responsive experience. That’s according to the video, at least.

This latest update has been rolled out to all versions of Steam, including the official app. If you want to take a deep dive into the laundry list of changes that have been made recently, you can check out the full patch notes on the Steam website.

Andrew Heaton

Andrew has been a gamer since the 17th century Restoration period. He now writes for a number of online publications, contributing news and other articles. He does not own a powdered wig.

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