The Steam Mobile app feels like it hasn’t had an update in so long you’d think Valve had abandoned it. At least, that was the case before yesterday, when Valve finally pushed out an update that revamped the Steam Mobile app. It now comes with a brand-new look and is loaded with features. Though not all of the features are new. But there are new features. And some of them have the potential to change the way you use the app. Or it may convince some to actually start using the app.
“We’ve completely revamped the Steam Mobile app. With a new design, new framework, and new features,” Valve says. The two biggest parts of this update are its design change, and at least one of the app’s new features. The design change is a big deal because the app hasn’t changed its look in years. It was hardly anywhere near Google’s latest design guidelines. And using it, you might think you’ve traveled back to a bygone era of Android based on the app’s design alone. No longer.
Featuring a new tab interface with a navigation bar at the bottom of the screen, you can jump between Home (where you can browse games), News, Steam Guard, Notifications, and Menu. Speaking of Steam Guard, you can now use a new QR code scanning feature to login to your Steam account on PC. And Valve says it’s bringing that feature to the Steam Deck in the near future. Of course the biggest feature change pertains to games you buy or want to install.
The Steam Mobile app update lets you remote download games
We consider this the biggest change to the app because it’s a huge quality of life feature. No one enjoys downloads. And while many games on Steam don’t take long to install, a fair amount of them are massive and take longer. With the new remote download feature, you can start an install from your phone so the game is ready to play when you get home. This is something you’ve been able to do for PlayStation and Xbox for quite some time. And it’s a huge boon for anyone isn’t always home to initiate a game install at their leisure.
The app also has a new library view, and Valve says notifications are smarter thanks to newly added customization options. You can also customize the tabs. The update is already live so whether you’d be installing it for the first time or updating it, all the changes should be accessible right away.