It is learned from Steam officials that today the Steam test client ushered in an update, adding new features and improving the Steam desktop client experience.
Here’s a quick overview of the official new features:
Big changes behind the scenes
Some of the big changes in this update weren’t immediately visible; a lot of effort went into changing the way we share code across the Steam Desktop Client, Big Screen Mode, and Steam Deck. These changes also mean that new features will be implemented and iterated faster. A good example of this is the local network transfer update, which is rolling out to both the Steam client and the Steam Deck. Along the way, we’ve also made some targeted visual and usability improvements.
In-game interface
We have overhauled the in-game interface. The original intention of this feature is to create a quick way for everyone to chat with friends or check game-related questions or content; we have launched a new user interface in this update and added more useful tools so that your customization can go a step further.
A new toolbar gives you access to any feature you need in-game: chat with friends, achievement progress, guides, discussions, browser, and more. We’ve picked a few default windows, but you can also pick and customize what you want to see in the interface – settings are used across all games. You can choose to display the toolbar in icon view or list view in the settings.
The game overview lets you see what’s happened since the last time you played, all at once. For example, it shows what achievements you’re making, which friends are playing the same game, popular guides, news and more.
The new Notes app lets you jot down… notes related to the game you’re playing. This feature has rich text formatting options and multiple notes per game, even in offline mode. Notes are saved per game and synced to other PCs you are logged into. In addition to the Steam interface in the game, it can also be seen on the game details page.
We’ve also added the ability to pin windows from the Steam interface so they appear on top of the game while in-game. The opacity level is adjustable, and only the window’s content will be fixed — no title bars and other extraneous UI. This new feature is available for Notes, Guides, Discussions, and the web browser (yes, you can play games and watch movies at the same time if you really want to).
notify
Steam client notifications are now richer and more useful. The green button will only light up when there is genuinely new information. The tray view is limited to new notifications, plus there’s a “see all” page that shows historical notifications.
screenshot manager
The screenshot manager has been completely revamped and is now responsive, you can choose between large and small thumbnails, you can view recent screenshots not per game, and you can manage online and local screenshots.
