windowscentral[.]com/gaming/the-new-steam-ui-update-added-features-ive-always-dreamed-of-having
The look and feel of Steam — Valve's digital distribution service for PC games — hasn't changed much in the last several years, but that's no longer the case thanks to a major new update for its desktop software. Some of its upgrades are in the backend (Valve introduced a new framework that'll make implementing features across Steam, Big Picture mode, and Steam Deck easier), but most of them significantly enhance Steam's UI with great quality of life changes and some fantastic new features.First, Valve has given the Steam client "a fresh coat of paint" by updating its dialog boxes, menus, fonts, and colors so that everything is easier to see, find, and use. There's also a snappy new interface for the Screenshot Manager menu that replaces the awkward grid format with a scroll-based one, as well as a refresh to the Notifications tab that specifies what kinds of notifications you have and settings that allow you to control which ones you'll see. There's even an always-accessible Friends & Chat button at the bottom right of the app. Neat!
These are all awesome changes, but for me, the true highlight of this update is the makeover it gave to Steam's in-game overlay. I've always preferred it to the ones you'll find on competing services like Origin or the Epic Games Store, but before now, its tendency to freeze up made me reach for the Alt+Tab keys whenever I wanted to look something up or check social media feeds.
Not anymore. Steam's in-game overlay has been given a huge overhaul that, in addition to simplifying its layout and significantly raising its speed and responsiveness, also adds a handful of amazing functionality upgrades that I've dreamed of having for years now.