Steam is testing a redesigned store menu, search and recommendations
Steam is testing a redesigned layout for its store in the beta version of its desktop client. Valve says that the changes are part of its efforts to help users discover new games.
When you click on Steam's search bar, it does nothing. Well, this is what's changing. The beta version of the search panel displays games that are popular.
It also lists your recently viewed games, top genres (that you played), and an option for Advanced Search with custom filters (it's just the Steam Search page). Some users may not like to see the recommendations, and there aren't any options to configure the behavior.
Valve is also changing the way links are displayed in the left column of the home page & blue navigation menu bar, by merging the contents of the two.
The Browse tab at the top displays shortcuts for various sections such as top sellers, discounts and events, new releases, free to play, demos. It also tells you how many games from your wishlist are currently discounted. To the right of this banner, you can find Steam Charts, Upcoming Releases, Points Shop, Gift Cards, News & Updates, and Preferences.
Steam's Recommendations tab lists games that you may like, while the Categories menu is personalized based on your activity, it shows tags for genres that you may be interested in. The other tabs are shortcuts for hardware (Steam Deck, Docking Station), Ways to Play (Great on Deck, Remote Play, VR, Controller-friendly, Co-op), and More (Demos, DLCs, Sale events)
You will need to join the Steam Client Beta to test the new layout. To do that, open the Steam app on your computer, click on Settings > Interface > Client Beta Participation > Steam Beta Update.
The redesigned Steam Store Menu is available in the latest beta version of the desktop client. It is not exclusive to Windows, it's available on Linux and macOS.
Steam recently introduced a new in-game performance monitor, enabled Proton on Linux by default, accessibility settings for the Big Picture Mode.
Do you find the new search panel useful for finding new games, or do you find the recommendations annoying?
I hate the entire idea of bundling a browser into a game client. It’s not only annoying it’s unsafe.
When I open steam, I just want to forking play a game, not be bombarded by ads using an unsecure browser.
If I want to browse a digital storefront, I’ll do it with the browser of my choice configured the way I want it.
This is one of the main reasons why Steam dropped support for older operating systems. They should release a legacy version without built in browser and all the other bloat, so that people can play the retro games they legally bought.
@Tachy. Yes, I liked the QoL changes that Valve introduced to Steam recently. These store improvements seem gimmicky, especially the search panel’s suggestions.