Summary
- Valve has released a new sleeker design for Steam’s beta build.
- Changes include a revamped search function with popular searches and categories.
- Improved content discovery process to show games you like, and an easier way to access advanced search.
I think it’s pretty safe to say that Valve’s Steam storefront is the most ogled-at digital games platform in the PC gaming industry. So, it’s pretty important that Valve gets the look and feel just right to handle all the people that enter its digital gates every day.
Well, it seems Valve thinks the Steam storefront needs a little more tweaking, as it has released a new design to the beta branch. It’s not a huge difference, but it’s still enough to warrant Valve asking people for their thoughts. So, if you want to give it a spin and tell Valve how you feel, now’s your chance.
Related
Steam’s new beta build introduces a sleeker store
The next big change is to the search function. While the previous storefront had a very simple search box, the new one has a few more handy features added to it:
- Popular Searches: See what others are searching for right now
- Recently Viewed: An easy way to jump back to games you’ve previously looked at
- More than just games: Search for categories/tags, publishers, and more
- Advanced Search link: For those who want to refine their game search even further, we’ve made it easier than ever to access the advanced search page with a variety of filters.
The rest of the changes seem oriented around showing you the content you want to see most. This includes a more streamlined discovery process where it shows you a handful of games it thinks you’ll like, plus a link to the more advanced discovery queue if you’re hankering for more. Plus, the categories section will pick out the ones you’ll have the most interest in.
If you want to take a peek at this new storefront and give some feedback, check out Valve’s guide on how to sign up for the Steam beta. Just be sure to remember to actually give Valve some feedback on the bits you don’t like; beta builds are the perfect time to be nitpicky and squash some pain points before it goes live. And if you’d like to get more out of the app, study up on these handy ways to speed up your Steam downloads, plus our guide on how to run Steam on your Lenovo Legion Go.