The Steam Library is getting an overhaul, with a public beta only weeks away. We've been anticipating it since the update was announced in March, and a leak last week gave us our first look at it. Valve's now confirmed it's coming soon and has given developers a quick tour.
According to Valve, the new Library "brings together a player’s experience with a game and new content/communications from the developer and community in a richer, more visual layout."
Here's what the new Library Home page will look like:
We'll get a central page for our game collection, which looks like an enhanced, prettier version of the grid option but allows you to still see the game list in the sidebar, so it's the best of both worlds. This page will be customisable, so you can display your entire library or use filters to tweak what's visible. I like the update banner at the top, too, reminding you of cool new stuff appearing in games you own.
Big changes are also coming to the detail page (what you see when you highlight a game in your library). Elements like the Steam Workshop spotlight and the recent activity feed will all still be there, but you can also see your subscriptions or just hop straight over to all the mods you've downloaded. Information like your friends' activity and in-game events are displayed prominently, without making you go to the store page. Developers will also have a greater ability to customise the page, which can contain things like logos and banners that are easy to change.
I like it! The Library is a bit of a mess at the moment, and looks even more out of date now that other parts of Steam have been given makeovers, so the changes are very welcome. I've got almost 1,000 things in my library, so the improved detail page and update reminders seem like they'll be a massive boon. I've got no idea what's going on with the games I own.
We'll let you know when we have the beta dates.
