Steam is an online gaming platform developed by Valve Corporation. Launched in 2003, it has become one of the most popular PC gaming platforms, with over 30 million monthly active users. On Steam, users can purchase, download and play to a wide range of PC games, including indie titles and games developed by major publishers. The platform also offers the possibility to participate in game forums, exchange in-game items and challenge friends in multiplayer mode.
Another advantage of Steam is that it regularly delivers game deals, often with discounts of 50% or more. This makes it easier for users to buy and try new games at affordable prices.
Also, Steam also offers a number of social featureslike the ability to add friends, join playgroups, and chat with friends while playing.
But not everyone knows Steam offers a lot below the surface here. 10 tips lesser known that will make you love this store even more.
1. Use the Steam client in offline mode
You don’t always have a stable connection, in which case annoying interruptions may occur. To avoid them, it suffices to define the client of Stream offlineso that the client does not try to communicate with the network during the game session. To do this, simply: open the Steam client, click on “To file“then select”Offline Settings“.
Obviously, to resume the use of all Steam functions, the option must be disabled. To do this, simply click “File” at the top again, then select “Offline Settings”.
2. Speed up downloads on Steam
The service is known to have fast servers which allow for excellent download speeds, if your downloads are slow you should check your internet connection by running a speed test, if that is good you can try changing the server from Steam download.
To do this, you just need to go to “Settingsin the upper right corner of Steam then click on “Downloads“. Here you can select a download server closer to you or with a faster connection.
3. Use the Steam Broadcast System
This is a handy Steam feature that lets you stream your gameplay live on the Internet. You will be able to share your gameplay with friends and other players or live stream on streaming platforms such as Twitch or YouTube.
To use the Steam delivery system, you must first ensure that the latest version of the client is installed on your computer. Then follow these steps:
- launch the game you want to stream;
- in the Steam client, click the “Information disseminated” in the top menu bar;
- in the window that opens, press the “Start streaming“;
- a streaming configuration window will appear, here you can select the streaming options you prefer, such as image quality, microphone and webcam;
- finally click on the buttonStart streaming” to start transmission.
To stream your game, you must have one stable and fast internet connection. Also keep in mind that Steam’s streaming system uses a lot of bandwidth, so you may need to disable other network activity while streaming.
4. Use “SteamDB”
SteamDB is a website that provides game information and game packs available on the Steam gaming platform. It offers a wide range of features, such as the ability to see current discounts and offers, get detailed game information, see game price and popularity statistics, and receive notifications when the games you follow go on sale.
To use SteamDB, you must first log in to the website. Once there, you can browse the games available via the search bar or by browsing the different categories. If you are interested in a particular game, you can click on its tab to view more information, such as the priceTHE Comments Hey technical details.
If you want to follow a game or receive notifications when it goes on sale, you’ll need to create a free SteamDB account. Once logged in, you can click the heart icon in the upper right corner of any game tab to add it to your wishlist. Additionally, you can access your account settings to customize notifications and other options.
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5. Back up your saves to the Cloud
It takes very little to use Steam for store your backups in the cloud of your titles.
If you want to do it automatically:
- go to “Settings» of the client and select the tab «cloud“;
- then, select the option “Game saves” and make sure it is turned on.
This way, your saves will be automatically uploaded to the Steam servers every time you close a game.
If you want to perform the manual backup instead:
- go to the section “Library» of the client and right-click on the game you want to save;
- in the context menu that appears, select the option “Property» from the contextual menu then go to the «Local files“;
- then click the “Backup saves” to select the files you want to back up.
6. Add non-Steam games to your library
Not all titles are available on Steam, and the client does not require you to purchase only the games available on it. If you want to manage all your titles via Steam you must import those not purchased on the store, for this you must:
- open the Steam client and go to the option “Games” at the top of the menu bar;
- click on it and in the context menu press the item “Add a non-Steam game to my library”;
- then a window will open which will show you all the games and programs installed on your system, at this point you just have to check the ones you want to import and click on the ““Add Selected Programs”.
This is also the method that is used on Steam Deck (in desktop mode) to add games from Epic Games, Prime Gaming, GOG and others.
7. Know the hours you spent on Steam
If you are curious, here is a method to find out how much of your life have you used to play to titles in your Steam library. To see your hours spent on Steam, you must first log in to your Steam account. Once logged in, you can follow these steps:
- go home toy library;
- click on a game to display the game map;
- click on the tab “Information” at the top of the page;
- scroll down to section “Game statistics“. Here you should see a stat called “The hours have passed“.
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8. Show FPS Counter
The FPS counter (frames per second) is useful to take a look at the performance of our titles and to be able to adjust them as best as possible. To enable the in-game meter in Steam, you must first enable the in-game performance display in the Steam overlay.
How to see FPS in Steam games:
- open the Steam client and go to the “Settings“;
- then go to the tab “Overlays” and make sure the option “Enable Steam Overlays” is activated;
- click on “In-game performance” and make sure the option “Enable in-game performance” is selected;
- then start the title you want to read and press the “Shift + Tabto open the Steam overlay;
- finally click on the tab “Performance” in the Steam overlay to display the FPS counter.
Attention, some games may not support displaying in-game performance in the Steam overlay. Additionally, keeping the overlay active while playing may have a slight impact on game performance. If you experience slow gameplay while using the overlay, you can disable this feature.
Not many people know that the “Forward to a Friend” feature on Steam allows you to share the games you purchased with your friends.
To share your Steam games with a friend:
- Log in to your Steam account and go to the “Library” client.
- find the game you want to share and right click on it. Select the option “Send to a friend” in the context menu.
- select your friend from your Steam friends list or enter their email address.
- Click on the button “Before” to send the game to your friend.
- your friend will receive an email allowing them to accept the game and add it to their library.
The “Forward to a Friend” function is only available for certain titles and can only be used once per game. Additionally, your friend will need to accept the game within 14 days of submission in order to play. add to your library.
10. Prepare your wallet
Obviously, the games that interest us are not always part of the Steam Deals; more advanced users might like to know that this is a way to predict if and when an action will be offered. It is Prepare your portfolio, which is a site that tries to predict when discounts will occur on Steam. Typically, Valve’s platform periodically offers discounts during its “sales”, usually at intervals of about three months.
Prepare your portfolio uses prediction algorithms or analyzing historical data to try to identify patterns or trends that can help predict when discounts will occur on Steam. For example, analyze past sales periods to try to identify repeating patterns from year to year, or use data on popular games or user activity on Steam to try to predict when offers and promotions will be live.
It is important to note that Prepare Your Wallet is a prediction tool only and does not guarantee the accuracy of its predictions. Steam sales can vary based on many circumstances and factors, so it’s not possible to predict with certainty when discounts will occur.
