We’ve known a Steam redesign is in the works for…well, a long time now. A very Valve amount of time, you might say. Some aspects of that redesign have already rolled out even, with new interface elements appearing in the Steam storefront a few weeks ago.

But today, at Valve’s Steam Business Update panel at the annual Game Developers Conference, we got a comprehensive look at the redesign, as well as a release window. Users ready to ditch Steam’s old look (below) will be able to opt into the Library Redesign open beta this summer.

So what will it look like? To be honest, it looks a bit like some of the more popular Steam skins that are out there, with aspects of the third-party Metro and Air reskins visible. There’s a more comprehensive library homescreen though that will quickly allow users to resume whatever they were last playing.

It also embeds tiles that update users on events happening in the games they own, perhaps surfacing games they haven’t played in a while or games that just received major patches. A lot of these features already exist in Steam’s Big Picture mode, so it’s nice to see them folded into the small-screen interface.

Select a game and you’ll also see a more robust information page, meaning you’ll have to click that ‘Go to store page’ button less often. Users will be able to see DLC they haven’t purchased right from the library page, plus a more expansive news and updates section. Valve’s also folding your friends list straight into the library page so users don’t need to pop open a separate window to see who’s playing what.

It’s a good-looking and much-needed overhaul, especially given how little Steam’s interface has changed in the last 15 years.



Source link Design