How do I install Steam Beta?

Please follow the instructions below to participate in the Steam client beta:

  • With Steam running, click on "Steam" in the upper left, then choose the "Settings" menu. (Preferences on Mac)
  • On the "Account" tab under "Beta Participation" click the "Change..." button.
  • Select the "Steam Beta Update" from the drop down list and click "OK".
  • You will be prompted to restart Steam, please select the "Restart Steam" button.

If you are using Big Picture Mode:

  • Select 'Settings' then 'System'
  • Check the 'Participate in client beta' option
  • Follow the prompt to restart Steam

If you are using a Steam Deck:

  • Press the "Steam" button
  • Select "Settings" then "System"
  • Navigate to the "Beta Participation" section
  • Expand the System Update Channel pull-down and select "Beta"
  • Follow the prompt to restart your device

Instantly access to your favorite games on Steam, with thousands of games, exclusive deals, automatic game updates and other great perks. With Steam you can also join the Steam Community of PC gamers, join game groups, form clans, chat in-game and more.

Why is Steam so popular?

Steam was originally created by Half-Life developer Valve as a platform to update their games and distribute them digitally back in 2003. The service had a slow start, at the time facing competition from brick and mortar stores and physical game copies, but it didn't take long until it became the top digital distribution platform for PC gamers. Over the years Valve has successfully grown a platform that hosts games from most other publishers, studios, and game creators in general.

Is there a monthly fee for Steam?

Absolutely not. Steam is free and the platform makes money through the sale of games and other digital content.

What's New

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

General

  • Fixed user chooser appearing on startup even when not requested.
  • Fixed additional cases preventing local network game transfers from starting.

Remote Play

  • Improved video color range on all platforms.
  • Added support for HDR streaming on Steam Deck OLED.
  • Added support for AV1 video streaming on Steam Deck when using the experimental SteamRT3 Steam Client.

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

General

  • Allow changing account while a game is running. In this case, the change account dialog shows a warning that proceeding will close active games.
  • Steam shutdown now waits for just-exited games to finish cloud sync.
  • Added "Ask which account to use on startup" toggle to startup account chooser.
  • Eliminated "change account" confirmation dialog in most cases. Changing account while Steam is running now brings up the account chooser directly, then restarts as the chosen account.

Downloads

  • Fixed local game transfers no longer working.

Linux

  • Fixed Proton games with mixed case paths failing to install or update with Disk Write Errors.

Remote Play

  • Removed unused codec settings option.
  • Fixed mouse coordinates for input-only streaming
  • Fixed very low refresh rate on some systems, introduced in the last beta

Steam Workshop

  • Re-worked system that managed what subscribed items needed to be updated.

In-Game Overlay

  • Fixed a case where the in-game overlay could hold a reference and prevent a game which tries to fully tear down and recreate the renderer after a D3D12 device/driver failure from succeeding

We're giving the Steam store home a refresh, and you can try it out now by opting into the latest Steam beta within your desktop client.

The updated design is our latest work in making improvements across the Steam store, like the game page updates we made a few months ago. The new layout aims to make it even easier for you to find new games by displaying more content and information. We're now displaying higher resolution game art for better visual clarity. Those of you with higher resolution monitors will notice the new store home is wider and more responsive. If you're viewing the store home on Steam Deck or in Big Picture mode you'll also see these updates.

Overall Design Refresh: Over the years we've introduced new sections and added new ways for you to discover and learn about games, and this update aims to make the store home feel more cohesive. Each section has a distinct set of tools and information to give users many ways to explore the diverse catalog of games on Steam. A goal of this visual refresh is to strike a balance between providing more consistency in UI elements, while allowing the unique nature of each section to show through.

Featured & Recommended: There is now more detailed information highlighting the reason a game is being recommended to you; plus a user review round-up. When hovering over a game's cover art, the game's micro-trailer will play for a quick peak at the action. We also added a sneak-peek of the adjacent games in the carousel.

Option to disable: Micro-trailer hovers and animated marketing assets can be disabled in Store Settings for users with motion sensitivity.

Discounts & Events: Now uses larger game artwork.

Updated Discovery Queue: A quicker way to browse titles in your Discovery Queue without leaving the page.

Better Hover States: A short description is presented along with other relevant information. The UI is updated to provide better contrast and legibility.

Infinite Scroll: Refreshed design to bring this part of the store home in line visually and functionally with the rest of the sections.

New Sections

  • Your Wishlist: This section, as you might guess, features games on discount from your wishlist.
  • DLC for Your Games: This section will feature DLC that's on discount for games from your library.