Most Wanted Steam Features

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Steam has gone through many updates over the years, with some changes being popular and others not so much. Despite these changes, there are still features that players have been requesting for a long time that haven’t been added to the platform yet.

Steam is already the leading platform for PC gaming, but there’s still potential to make it even better. A few simple updates could enhance how users browse, improve how the system runs, and even help players discover new games. There’s always room for improvement and growth.

Custom Sorting

Sifting Through The Crowd

Details:

  • More comprehensive options like custom game name changes
  • Current collections are a bit outdated

As gamers build up larger game libraries, finding specific titles can be challenging with the current sorting options. Currently, you can sort by things like playtime, Metacritic score, and release date, and while genre sorting exists, it’s not detailed enough for many players.

We’ve received a lot of requests for the ability to change how your name appears in the community. While there’s a setting to change a ‘sort name,’ it doesn’t actually change your display name, which isn’t very useful for games with similar titles. Better sorting options would be a huge help, especially for people with large game collections – those with hundreds or even thousands of games.

Randomizer

Helping You Clear That Backlog

Details:

  • Random game selection within the client
  • Choice based on settings, labels, etc.

Many players have asked for a feature that randomly picks a game from their library, so they don’t have to spend time browsing or use a website to help them decide. This would be especially helpful for people who have trouble choosing what to play, and it could also help them rediscover games they’ve forgotten about in their collection.

As a huge gamer, I’ve always dreamed of being able to customize my game selection a bit more. It would be amazing to pick and choose which games are even considered, maybe using the existing filters, and then just hit a button to get an FPS, an RPG, or even something totally random from my library. Seriously, people have been asking for this for ages! I’m hoping Valve will listen and add this feature eventually – it would make the whole experience so much better.

Third-Party Plugins

Bringing The Deck To PC

Details:

  • Steam Deck plugins for the main client
  • Customization and other system tweaks for comfort and performance

The Steam Deck has allowed for a lot of useful plugins that greatly improve mobile gaming. While some, like the Proton compatibility rating, are especially helpful on the Deck, it would be fantastic if those same features were added directly to Steam for all users.

I’m really excited about the possibilities for customizing my PC! I’m hoping to see things like personalized boot screens and more ways to arrange windows. It would be amazing to have even more control over how games perform and feel, tweaking them exactly to my liking. With Steam getting into hardware with the Steam Machine, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that some of these cool features will eventually make their way to all PCs, not just that one device. It would be a huge step forward for PC gaming!

Automatic Non-Steam App Detection

Bringing In Those Other Platforms

Details:

  • Launching non-steam games without adding manually
  • Comprehensive space for all games without opening other apps

If you’ve used the Xbox PC app, you’ll be familiar with its ability to automatically detect and launch games from other programs without needing to manually add them. While Steam lets players create custom entries for games, apps, or even things like Chrome, it still requires the user to set it up – it doesn’t happen automatically.

While adding certain apps individually is understandable, Steam should automatically recognize games players already own on other platforms. This wouldn’t compete with those other services, but would create a more unified gaming experience, eliminating the need to constantly switch between different launchers.

More Review Options

There’s More Than Yes And No In Life

Details:

  • Lots of requests for a neutral recommendation
  • Broader scores needed for more divisive games

The Steam review system hasn’t been updated in over ten years, even though players have been asking for improvements. Currently, users can simply give a ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ review, and the overall score for a game is based on the percentage of each.

A lot of users have asked for a ‘neutral’ rating option for games that aren’t clearly good or bad. Currently, only giving a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ score can be frustrating when a game falls somewhere in the middle. Adding a ‘maybe’ button, or allowing a broader range of scores, could help ensure games receive more accurate ratings from a wider group of players.

Seamless Library

Switching Tabs Can Get Annoying

Details:

  • Access to the library or other windows in the store
  • Clearly see which games are owned whilst browsing

Longtime Steam users often find it clunky to switch between tabs while browsing the store or looking at profiles. While you can open pages in separate windows, it doesn’t always feel clean or easy to use.

We suggested letting players ‘pin’ important info, like their game library, so they can easily see it while browsing the store or other pages. This idea could also apply to things like friend lists, making it simpler to navigate and view multiple profiles at once, compared to how it works now.

Better Mod Integration Into The Workshop

Bringing The Community Closer Together

Details:

  • Improving the workshop to accommodate more large-scale mods
  • Bridging the gap between third-party sites

Millions of players enjoy modifying video games, creating a massive online community. However, many of these modifications aren’t available directly through the games themselves. Players often have to search for them on separate websites and follow complicated instructions, which can be difficult if you’re new to modding or aren’t comfortable with computer files.

Steam already offers a workshop where players can easily download new content like items and maps. Expanding this to include broader modding support could make the platform more inviting and user-friendly for everyone. While some games might have issues, most would greatly benefit from easier access to mods.

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2025-12-06 11:35