Many of the improvements are happening behind the scenes, but some new features stand out
Launching today, Steam users will notice that the big client update that Valve has been working on has officially started. This update will give Steam a visual “fresh paint”, promise to deliver more useful notifications, and add a Notes feature that we’ve found particularly useful.
But according to Valve, the biggest improvements in Steam client updates almost always happen behind the scenes. “Much of the work went into changing how code is shared across the Steam Desktop Client, Big Picture Mode, and Steam Decks,” the developers said in a blog post announcing the update. They noted that the newly shared codebase will share much of the functionality of the currently deployed Steam desktop client at the same time as the Steam Deck.
In terms of useful features, perhaps the biggest feature is the Notes app on Steam, which Polygon previewed at the end of April. Steam now allows players to pin windows from the overlay to stay on top of the game screen while playing. “This feature is great for tracking your progress and guides during games,” said the developer. “Or it’s great for multitasking geeks who like to play movies in the background while gaming.”
For gamepad players, the controller configurator used by the Steam Deck is now part of the Steam desktop client overlay (if a gamepad is connected) and also uses virtual menus when playing the game on desktop. It would be nice to know you can.
A complete list of changes, upgrades and quality of life features is detailed in this blog post. This update is free and available now for all platforms (Windows PC, Linux, Mac).
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