A new update for Valve’s Steam platform on PC has today been released. Although Steam is widely known as a way for PC users to purchase and access games, it’s also an existing client that Valve does routinely tweak and make changes to. Now, a new update for Steam has rolled out that adds a handful of new features to the software.
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Available to download right now, this new patch for Steam makes a handful of notable changes. In addition to fixing a number of various bugs, Valve has also overhauled the way that Big Picture Mode operates. A number of added features tied to various inputs that Steam incorporates have also been implemented with this update. All in all, this patch isn’t one that will drastically change the way that Steam functions, but there are some key improvements that have certainly been pushed out.
If you’d like to see everything that has been changed in this new Steam update today, you can check out the full patch notes below.
General
- Replaced launch option dialog with new UI that includes a checkbox to remember the user’s selection – this selection can be changed in game properties
- Changing download regions no longer requires restarting the Steam client
- Further optimizations to load times for users with large game libraries
- Fixed intermittent browser crash when closing Update news dialog
- Fixed the controller settings tab not showing up in the game properties menu
- Fixed DLC hover on game details page being cropped
- Fixed several issues related to popup dialogs being sized incorrectly
- Fixed issue with duplicate streaming dialogs appearing on Mac & Linux
- Fixed background images on a collection on the app details page not being clipped correctly
Big Picture Mode
- New Big Picture Mode has been made the default experience. For compatibility purposes, old Big Picture can be accessed by using the command-line option “-oldbigpicture”. Note that this functionality will be removed in a future update.
- Added support for switching the primary monitor on Windows in Settings -> Display -> Preferred Display
- Added an option to start in windowed mode under Settings => Display => Big Picture Mode => Windowed
- Added pinned notifications for new inventory items, trade offers, async game turns, moderator messages, offline chat messages, and help request replies in Quick Access > Notifications
- Added up/down cursor keys to onscreen keyboard, press shift then left/right cursor to use
- Added ability to move the standalone & overlay keyboard
- Added option to turn off controllers when exiting BPM
- Added setting for controller idle > turn off timeout
- Added a quick guided tour for new Big Picture
- Added notification when a Xbox controller is plugged in, but the Guide button is disabled (which prevents bringing up the Steam main menu and other functionality like chords)
- Allow onscreen keyboard to be activated while in New Big Picture Mode and Steam window is not focused
- Implemented Steam Controller dongle pairing
- UI Digital Navigation Key Repeats are faster
- Show icons for partial/full controller support, VR Support, or Mouse & KB only support in Library when a game portrait is focused or hovered
- Center the navigation column in the Overlay vertically to match the rest of the main menu
- Detect focus shifting away from the BPM window faster and reduce instances of navigation going to BPM after starting a game
- Cursor is now hidden when in gamepad-navigation mode in Big Picture
- Various fixes to make the UI scale better in higher resolutions
- Fixed some issues completing purchases through some payment providers
- Fixed a rare crash exiting BPM
- Fixed a case where disconnecting a controller while navigating would not cancel repeating movements
- Fixed the new Big Picture Mode overlay being incorrectly sized when the monitor is set to display scaling other than 100%
- Fixed overlay scaling when resizing game window
- Fixed issue where a browser opened by a game was sticking around after closing the overlay
- Fixed launch options dialog not closing when cancelling game launch
- Fixed issues w/ digital navigation getting stuck on text boxes when using a physical keyboard
- Fixed some issues using the virtual keyboard Paste button outside of a web context
- Fixed issue where the virtual keyboard would continuously be made visible after exiting a game
- Fixed issue viewing the hardware survey web page after submitting results
- Fixed the “Start in Big Picture Mode” setting not updating
- Fixed issue opting in to some game beta branches
- Fixed Big Picture window being incorrect size when moving it to a different display with win+shift+arrow key
- Fixed problem where setting certain library filters in Big Picture Mode could cause those games to become hidden when switching back to desktop
- Fixed an issue with detecting game windows on Linux
- Fixed “a” and “c” keystrokes on the app details page triggering an animation
Steam Input
- Controller configuration browsing screen can now preview configurations and the selection processes now previews then applies instead of directly selecting the configuration
- Added a search tab to the controller layout browser screen
- Added direct navigation to controller inputs and modes from the preview screen
- Added upper grips as an option for mode shifts
- Added support for the Armor-X Pro gamepad in PS4 mode
- Added a specific XBox Elite layout preview page
- Added a specific Switch Pro layout preview page
- Added support for the ThrustMaster eSwap PRO Controller Xbox
- Show controller settings in app properties game for non-Steam games
- Gyro Calibration Rework: Calibration Calculates an anti-drift value as normal, but also records Gyro and Accelerometer noise while stationary, so that Always-On Auto Calibration (toggle to enable) is more discerning, and should only recalculate anti-drift when on a stable surface
- Controller configurator now groups commands if they are attached to the same input
- Changed controller mode sliders to default to larger step sizes that match the old BPM interface and added footer button to switch to “fine adjustment” mode with smaller step sizes
- Reworked the layout of the mode settings page to show more content
- Generate Steam Input API origins for some virtual menu modes that were missing them
- Handle errors better and fix some cases where configs would no longer load
- On larger screens combine the keyboard and numpad tabs of the choose binding screen
- Remember the last active tab in the choose binding screen and open to that instead always using the tab w/ the current binding value
- Improved Layout Preview for Nintendo Switch Joycon Left/Right/Pair
- Filtered Mode Shift button options to only show available buttons based on the controller type
- Nintendo Switch SL/SR buttons now show up as Bumpers for single Joycons or Grip buttons for a JoyCon Pair
- Joycon individual/pair Gyro now displays and functions properly
- Fixed an issue with the Joystick Deadzone sliders having delayed input
- Fixed an issue w/ enabling Gyro for Switch controllers
- Fixed long delay at startup when the Razer Huntsman Elite keyboard is plugged in
- Fixed the Logitech G29 controller showing up as a gamepad instead of a wheel
- Fixed the XBox layout preview page layout having some incorrect items and missing others
- Fixed issue where Steam Controller joysticks would have unintended input during Steam Button chords
- Fixed long delay at startup when Razer keyboards are connected
- Fixed crash with games that use “Windows Gaming Input”
- Fixed issue w/ Joystick Deadzone visualization not updating
- Fixed some cases where some languages could have text overflow in choose binding screen
- Fixed chord activator options for XBox and XBox Elite controller types
- Fixed Capture button icon not being displayed for Joycon Pair
- Fixed the Switch Pro Layout Preview not showing the gyro
Remote Play
- Fixed audio crackling and loss when streaming from Linux
Linux
- Fixed a crash on Linux in libaudio
- Fixed crash when taking screenshots through the overlay
- Fixed closing non-Steam shortcuts via the overlay when two or more are running
- Fixed some errors causing the Library not to render properly
Mac
- Fixed close button on macOS Steam login window
