You can improve Steam with a few modifications.
If you’re a PC gamer, you’ve certainly enjoyed Steam sales or reading through your game suggestions. Valve’s old storefront can often look archaic compared to the more current interfaces we use in our daily lives.
There are ways to change Steam’s quirks to your liking. You can customise flat-black backdrops and your game library’s wall of titles. We recommend a few improvements to Steam’s options panel to improve its look and feel.
Categorizing games with Steam Deck
I don’t like Steam’s game library display settings. The list is too small, the game detail pane is too huge, and there’s too much dark negative space. This is the most modifiable component of Steam, and it’s easy to correct any shortcomings.
You should use Steam’s game collection feature. The collection function helps you organise and categorise games by numerous criteria, not just alphabetically. This simplifies library navigation. It may seem small, but it might affect your gameplay. Click the four boxes adjacent to the Home tab, then “create a new collection.” Make a normal or dynamic collection. Normal collections for now.
To add a game to a collection, right-click and select “add to.” Shift or Ctrl-click (or Shift + arrow keys) can highlight numerous games at once, saving time. Games can be in numerous collections.
“Currently Playing,” “Will Play,” “Finished,” “Favorites,” and “Not Interested” There’s no proper method to divide “Will Play” into three tiers, and favourites into multiplayer and single-player games.
Clicking the play arrow next to Games and Software will show only games you currently have installed. Clicking the clock next to it sorts games by recent activity.
dynamism
Steam’s categorization system includes dynamic collections, which are underestimated and unknown. These collections automatically update without your input. This makes them handy for tracking changes in playtime, buddy activity, and Steam review score. You can also set them to track Steam tags for genre, tone, and length, so you can easily play all of your roguelikes or horror games.
If you have a vast game library and forget what you possess, dynamic collections can help. The setup is quick.
Skin-deep
You’ve tried Steam’s basic graphic settings and want something different. Changing Steam’s look by installing a new skin is easy. Unfortunately, their functionality is limited.
Make a “skins” folder in your Steam directory to install a skin. Then, download your desired skin and extract its data. Create a subdirectory. Select the skin from Steam’s Interface settings drop-down menu. Metro, Placed, and Compact are popular Steam skins. I recommend Metro because it’s easy to use. OG-Steam transforms the client into its 2004 version. SteamSkins.org has various Steam skins.
These skins can only adjust the Steam client’s edges. Why? Steam has moved practically all of its features to the browser in recent years. Download SFP (previously SteamFriendsPatcher) to skin your Steam Library and Friend tabs. It’s finicky, though. This guide explains how to maximise Steam skins’ usefulness.
Switch game managers
Steam’s stylistic options are limited. Other game management software can overcome its restrictions. These apps let you launch games from Steam and Epic Games from one location. Playmate is a recommended all-in-one gaming launcher.
Playmate still requires Steam (and other marketplaces) to play your library, but its default theme looks nicer. It supports emulators and independent games, including online database details and an hour counter. It has several stylish themes. If you prefer an official platform, GOG Galaxy 2.0 lets you add Steam games to the launcher.
Sticking to Epic Games and Steam makes it easier to follow new games and sales. Unofficial systems like Playnite are more customisable and attractive.
Many people ask why Playnite’s front end exists. For most players, Steam’s custom themes and categories are enough to organise their collection. If you spend a lot of time managing your gaming library, you may want to look outside Steam.
