Steam, as a platform, has had its fair share of changes over the years. Some loved by many, while others were hated and forced back into the drawing room, but there are still plenty of features that players have wanted for quite some time that are yet to make their way into the client.
Thousands of Steam Users Call for New Feature to Be Added to the Platform
Thousands of Steam users take to social media to call for Valve to add a simple but potentially highly useful feature to its PC launcher.
There are a few basic additions that could improve certain aspects of the browsing experience, system upgrades that target how players use the program, and some cool ideas to help players decide what game to play next. While Steam has always been the gold standard for PC gaming platforms, there is always room to improve and grow in a variety of ways.
Custom Sorting
Sifting Through The Crowd
Details:
- More comprehensive options like custom game name changes
- Current collections are a bit outdated
As players accrue more and more games over time, it can be difficult to sort through them in more tailored ways than the current system allows. Right now, players can sort by basic metrics such as time played, Metacritic score, and release date, alongside a few extras like genres that still feel a bit too general.
Many members of the community have been asking for custom name changes for a while now, and although there may be a custom sort name tucked away in the settings, it doesn’t change the actual display one, which makes it only slightly helpful for games with strange names within the same series. Any kind of extra sorting could go a long way, especially for those who have extensive libraries full of 100s, if not thousands, of games.
Randomizer
Helping You Clear That Backlog
Details:
- Random game selection within the client
- Choice based on settings, labels, etc.
One of the longest-running requested features is for a built-in randomizer that players can use to select a game from their library without having to manually scroll through or use an external site. This would help a lot of people who struggle to decide on what game to play next, as well as shine a light on some games that would otherwise go overlooked within their backlog.
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In a perfect world, players would be able to select what games went into the pool, using preexisting sorting features, and then, at the click of a button, be presented with a game from a list of FPSs, RPGs, or a random one from the whole list. Users have been begging for years for the feature, so hopefully Valve finally comes around to adding it at some point in the future.
Third-Party Plugins
Bringing The Deck To PC
Details:
- Steam Deck plugins for the main client
- Customization and other system tweaks for comfort and performance
The Steam Deck opened the door for so many third-party plugins to come in and elevate the mobile gaming experience in a big way. Some make sense specifically for the deck, like the Proton compatibility rating, but it would be great to see those same features transitioned over to Steam as first-party additions.
Custom boot animations, more layout options in certain windows, and maybe even some extras like having more control in-game over how certain games run and feel. With the Steam Machine on the horizon, only time will tell if that device manages to bring some of these features to a more static device, and if so, maybe those same additions can come to all PCs as well.
Automatic Non-Steam App Detection
Bringing In Those Other Platforms
Details:
- Launching non-steam games without adding manually
- Comprehensive space for all games without opening other apps
For players who have used other platforms like the Xbox PC app, they will know that it is possible for other programs to view libraries and launch games, without ever having to add them manually. Steam does allow players to make custom programs that can be games, media apps, or even Google Chrome within the client, but it still requires input from the player rather than being automatic.
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For some specific apps, having to add them one by one does make sense, but for games, there should be no reason why Steam shouldn’t be able to detect any other titles that players may have on other platforms. This wouldn’t take away from the other services, but would give players a more cohesive way of engaging with all their games as opposed to swapping between them over and over.
More Review Options
There’s More Than Yes And No In Life
Details:
- Lots of requests for a neutral recommendation
- Broader scores needed for more divisive games
For well over a decade, the Steam review system has remained in an outdated state despite calls for change from the community. Players can choose to leave either a positive or negative review, and the total percentage of each then factors into the total score for the game.
Many users have suggested the addition of a neutral score, reserved for games with issues or more middling overall scores, but right now, having to leave a black and white score can feel quite annoying for those less obvious releases. A maybe button could be a great addition, or even a wider range that could ensure that games get the most accurate score possible by the largest range of players.
Seamless Library
Switching Tabs Can Get Annoying
Details:
- Access to the library or other windows in the store
- Clearly see which games are owned whilst browsing
Anyone who has used the Steam client for quite some time will know how awkward it can be sometimes to swap between tabs when browsing the store or someone’s profile. There is an option to pop out different windows, but that can feel quite messy and isn’t as seamless as it could be.
One suggestion was to make it so that players can pin certain pieces of information, like their library list, whilst still being able to look at the store and game pages at the same time. This could extend to other areas such as profiles, letting users navigate between friends all at once in a more easy-to-use manner than the current methods.
Better Mod Integration Into The Workshop
Details:
- Improving the workshop to accommodate more large-scale mods
- Bridging the gap between third-party sites
The video game modding community is huge and spans millions of different creations across a range of titles. But right now, a large chunk of those mods exists on third-party sites, forcing players to look elsewhere and follow tutorials that can often be tricky for those unfamiliar with mod engines or system files.
Steam does have the community workshop already in place, which hosts new items, skins, maps, and more that players can download at the click of a button. Adding in more extensive modding support could make the community feel more welcome and accessible to the masses, and although there may be issues with certain games, the vast majority could benefit from some better and easier mod support.
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