What Is Steam? Let’s Know About This PC Gaming Platform!

We all know the best way to play games is with a computer. But did you know; what is steam, a popular PC gaming platform for downloading and playing games? Steam is the world’s largest, most reliable game distribution service.

With over 160 million active accounts and over 2,000 titles in its library, both indie, and major, it continues to lead the industry in bringing high-quality content to gamers. In addition, Steam offers an excellent experience for PC gaming with many features designed to make it easier.

Steam: An Overview!

Steam was created by Valve Corporation and was released on September 12, 2003, for the Microsoft Windows operating system. It has since been extended onto other operating systems like Mac OS X, Linux, SteamOS, and FreeBSD. It is also available through their Steam Machine hardware line-up.

The Steam client is a software application that allows you to buy games and other software. In addition, it enables you to participate in the Steam Community, online gaming, and social networking service. Over 2,000 titles are available at launch. Steam started on Windows, but now it is available on many platforms, including Mac OS X and Linux as a native application.

Working Of Steam

Steam uses its client software to connect to the Steam service. The Steam service consists of an open platform that allows developers to create games and applications which can be shared with users through various communication mechanisms. For example, the user can upload their game or application and share it with others.

They can also use the Steam Application Database SteamDB to find out if their game is on the service, their friends’ games, screenshots, videos, reviews, ratings, and more information about a particular game or application. Gamers can also submit requests for a specific game or application in need of being added to Steam.

Popular Features Of Steam

Steam is a viral platform available for everyone. So here are some of the most popular features of Steam:

1. The leader in PC gaming:

Steam is the most preferred platform for playing PC games. It offers an extensive library of thoughtfully curated content.

2. Community-driven with gaming in mind:

Steam has active communities that love sharing opinions, reviews, and recommendations on different games. They also provide help and give suggestions on various levels when needed.

3. Easy to use and customize:

Most of the features of Steam are easily accessible with a single click. In addition, you can customize your experience by adding, removing, or changing your desired features.

4. Fast, reliable, and secure:

The servers that run the Steam platform are highly secure to ensure that gamers’ information is safe even if an account gets hacked. In addition, these servers distribute all updates in the background without any user intervention. This ensures that new software automatically downloads while playing games without interrupting your flow.

5. Easy to find games and apps:

You can access Steam from anywhere and start playing your favorite game or downloading new titles. The buying, downloading, installing, and playing process is very smooth.

6. Free-to-play:

The best part about Steam is that it’s accessible for gamers and developers alike. Other PC gaming platforms like Origin or GoG offer free trial versions for new games, but these are locked away during the trial period. Steam allows complete access to the service and all games, even during the trial period.

7. Major titles and indie games:

Steam has a vast collection of titles, including AAA titles, critically acclaimed indie hits, and everything in between. In addition, Steam ensures that you get the newest releases on the day they are launched worldwide.

8. More than just games:

The library of Steam offers a large selection of non-game software, productivity tools, VR experiences, and more.

9. Steam Workshop:

One of the most exciting features is the Steam Workshop. This is where you find user-created content like maps, mods, and even new items. You can make or download these items and use them in your game.

10. Special offers:

Steam has a section called Free Week, which offers special offers on games to let gamers try out a new title with some free trial time before they buy it outright.

11. Steam Greenlight:

This is the crowd-voting process for new indie games to get published on Steam. Indie developers can submit their games for community votes. This helps get feedback from the Steam community, who then vote for the games they want to see published on Steam.

12. Steam Cloud:

Cloud computing is the popular term for saving data or information to remote servers instead of a local storage device like a hard drive. For example, your game data will be backed up and stored on Steam servers. So even if you lose your PC or hard drive, you can still access the files using Steam.

13. Steam Wallet:

Steam Wallet is a convenient way to purchase games, software, and services in addition to those available within the gaming platform. It allows gamers to enjoy their favorite games without the price tag.

So now you know all about what is steam, its features, and why it is so popular in the gaming community.