Valve updates Steam's UI to make it easier to browse and search for games

Valve has updated Steam, revamping the storefront UI with a new menu system designed to make it easier to find games and access the areas you visit most often. The most notable aspect of this update is that the top blue menu bar has effectively merged with the left column to create a unified menu system featuring tabs that expand to display large buttons, icons, and graphics, which disappear when inactive or outside the mouse pointer's reach.

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The updated UI also adds the new menu and Steam search bar "on more pages across the Store" for easier access. Dramatically changing the navigation flow of Steam, an app that has been around for decades, might seem like a bold move on Valve's part. But the revamped Steam UI has received a generally positive response from the community.

Personally, I'm a big fan of the improved Search Panel, as it now includes quick access to the genres of games that make up most of my playtime, alongside recently viewed items and some of the most popular current community searches. That, and the new Ways to Play tab that offers quick access to Steam Deck-enhanced, controller-friendly, and VR titles.

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Everything about the redesign centers on how the broader PC gaming community interacts with the Steam store, while personalizing it based on your own history. The Browse tab's layout is apparently modeled after the "true ways to find the games the community is talking about," as it includes quick links to current Top Sellers, Discounts, New Releases, Free-to-Play titles, and other popular sections. The Recommendations tab puts Steam's 'Recommended for You' selections front and center, while the Categories tab includes the genres you play the most.