Steam has introduced changes to the way that its game reviews work on the beta client, introducing system specs into individuals’ reviews, and adding a new feedback option to Steam Deck compatibility reports. This could potentially lead to greatly improved experiences for gamers shopping for new games on Steam.
Steam reviews can be helpful in the process of discovering new games, as potential buyers can quickly scan averages for what aa game’s playerbase thinks of it. Individual reviews can also be looked at to see what players’ biggest gripes or favorite features are in a title, but there are also some shortcomings. Steam has previously taken steps to move unhelpful user reviews lower on the list, and now it’s doing something to address another issue players have with reviews.
New Steam Feature Is a Game-Changer for Early Access Games
Steam launches a new feature that is a potential game-changer for early access titles, and likely to be welcomed by developers and players alike.
Steam Introduces New Review Features
Valve has added a new feature that can potentially help players have a smooth gaming experience, without the need to request a refund on Steam. Previously, anyone who played a game could leave a review for it, which has led to a lot of players leaving reviews when a game doesn’t perform well on their PCs. The problem with that, however, is that said players may not know or explicitly state what their system specifications are, which can leave others with the question of whether their PC will fare better than the reviewer’s. Now, when Steam users leave a review with the beta client, they can simply tick a box that will have Steam attach the player’s PC specs to the review itself.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
As long-time Steam users likely know, the PC game platform has the ability to scan a user’s system to determine what components they’re using. Players will sometimes get asked if they want to share their system information with Steam, which then puts together all participating users’ data in the Steam Hardware Survey. These stats give players an idea of where their hardware stands in comparison to the general userbase, and can potentially be helpful to developers as well. The same technique can now be used to share what type of hardware a player is using when they leave a game review.
Steam Deck Verification Feedback Gets a Buff
Another change made in the same beta client update is an improvement to the Steam Deck verification feedback feature. Games for sale on Steam have an indicator showing whether a game can be played on the Steam Deck. These are generally divided up into Steam Deck Verified, which means that the game should play very well on the device, to Playable, which means that there may be some minor compatibility issues, and Unsupported, which indicates the game can’t be played on the device at all.
After playing a game on the Steam Deck, Steam will sometimes ask whether the player’s experience matched the verification status of the game. However, there was no way to actually attach any information to the report in the event that the game wasn’t working as expected on the Steam Deck. Now, players on Steam’s beta client are given the option to include details with their report, giving Valve a better idea of what areas to look into and whether to change its Steam Deck verification rating.
While these two features have yet to roll out on Steam’s standard client, it’s likely that they will be added in the future. The ability to include PC game specs could potentially help players to enjoy games that they might have otherwise skipped because of negative reviews coming from those with weaker gaming PCs. Meanwhile, the ability to include details on what players are experiencing when trying to play a game on their Steam Deck should not only help Valve to more quickly find issues that multiple players are experiencing, but to potentially find solutions, too. In all, these two new features should help to create a smoother purchase and playing experience for PC gamers.
