Valve’s has today announced they have rolled out a major update to the companies Steam Desktop Client. The update includes a wealth of features, which have been thoroughly tested and fine-tuned during the beta development phase. The key changes in this update might not be glaringly evident at first glance, mainly because a bulk of the alterations were focused on altering the code sharing across the Steam Desktop Client, Big Picture mode, and the new Steam Deck.
The benefits of these changes are twofold: swifter implementation and faster iteration of features. To illustrate, many features in this update, such as the new Notes feature in the overlay, are simultaneously debuting on the Steam Deck, thanks to the shared codebase.
New framework Steam update
The Steam interface has been given a significant facelift in this update, with focused improvements in the overall visual aesthetics and usability. Dialogs, menus, fonts, and colors have been refurbished, and key spots like the main Steam header and footer, Settings, and the Screenshot Manager flaunt a rejuvenated UI.
Enhanced notifications
The revamped Steam notifications have been designed to be more meaningful to users. The green bell indicator will now only illuminate when something truly new is awaiting your attention. The tray view is streamlined to display only new notifications, and a comprehensive “View all” page lists all past notifications. Additionally, we’ve incorporated settings for specific notifications, enabling you to customize which notifications you wish to see and where they appear.
Overhauled in-game overlay
The in-game overlay, accessible through Shift+Tab while in-game, has undergone a complete transformation. The new user interface adds utility and allows for greater customizability. It features a new toolbar that offers quick access to various tools you might need mid-game – chat with friends, progress on achievements, guides, discussions, a browser, and more. You also have the option to personalize the content displayed in your overlay, and your preferences are preserved across different games.
New Notes feature
The update introduces a new feature, Notes, which allows you to create reminders about the game you’re currently playing. This feature supports rich text formatting, pasting images, and even works offline. These notes are synced across any device you’re logged into, be it other PCs or Steam Decks, and can also be accessed outside the in-game overlay, on the game details page.
Pin to Game
The update has also integrated a feature to pin windows from the overlay to stay on top of the game. The contents of these windows remain visible, while the title bar and other unnecessary UI components are excluded. This functionality is perfect for those who wish to keep track of progress, guides or, if you’re an adept multi-tasker, to have a movie playing in the background while you game.
Additional updates
The in-game overlay now also incorporates a Game Overview panel – your one-stop destination to check what’s new with the game since you last played. It displays achievements in progress, friends who are also playing, top guides, news, and more. Moreover, the browser, achievements, and screenshot manager windows have been updated in both the overlay and the desktop client.
The controller experience has also been significantly improved. The updated controller configurator from Steam Deck is now incorporated in the overlay when a gamepad is connected, and virtual menus can now be accessed while gaming on Desktop.
Support for Mac and Linux
The substantial technical work in this update has enabled hardware acceleration for the Mac and Linux versions of Steam. This means that Mac and Linux users can now enjoy a more responsive UI, smoother scrolling, and snappier animations, bringing their gaming experience up to par with Windows users.
To explore the full spectrum of updates and improvements that have been shipped, jump over to the full patch notes via the link below.
Source: Valve
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