Developed by Valve, the company behind the VR headset indexAnd the Steam is an online digital content distribution platform. In addition, it is also a communication and rights management platform. Of course, she focuses on video games, including virtual reality games.
Steam is not a new platform. In fact, it was released in September 2003. It was launched by Valve as a standalone software client. This allowed her to offer automatic updates for her various games. A little later, the platform included games from third-party publishers. In short, it gives users the opportunity to buy games and content for games, but not only.
It also allows them to update automatically and manage their multiplayer game. Finally, it offers community tools related to different titles using the same platform. Note that the service can be downloaded for free from its official website itself. It gets installed on your PC in no time like any other software.
A brief history of steam
For the record, Valve announced Steam in March 2002. Inc. Gabe Newell So it was mentioned at the time that it was a system that allowed it simplification Content distribution. Thus, the client had to make it possible to automate the download and update of various games, especially Counter-Strike.
It was also supposed to replace a multiplayer system called WON of Half-Life. This actually allowed Valve to be independent His former publisher, Sierra. The final version of the popular platform wasn’t released until September 2003.
Since then, it has undergone many developments, including the launch of SteamVR In April 2016. Supporting Valve Index VR headsets, oculus riftAnd the HTC ViveAnd the Windows Mixed Reality, etc., the latter is a tool to fully enjoy consumer virtual reality. Note that the platform has also encountered all kinds of files Problems since its release. However, Valve has always managed to solve it.
Well stocked shop
When you go to Steam, the first thing you come across is its well-stocked store, hence the store page. It works like any other online store. You can find all kinds Software and games that can be purchased. Please note that these are only available digitally.
Then there are no physical discs, boxes and of course shipping costs to pay. We can buy titles that interest us, and instant download. Once downloaded, it immediately joins the user’s list of games in the library.
You can install and uninstall it on your computer in every moment. Even if you buy dozens or even hundreds of games, you can still save the available space on your hard drive. Those installed are marked and ready to play. Meanwhile, uninstalled devices are greyed out. To play installed titles, of course, just double-click on it.
big global community
The community is an essential part of the Steam service. It gives many users the ability to learn about games other players Play and talk, but not only. It also allows them to manage their friends list. The feature provides in-app chat at the same time.
For each of the games available on the platform, players own Individual community pages. This is where screenshots, chats, and many more fan art are shared.
Of course, the large global Steam community is great help For any user encountering an error, stuck in a certain part, etc. He can always ask other players for advice on solving this or that problem, for example.
Features as if it was raining!
If we sum up Steam in a few words, it’s the perfect place for that Create, play and speak video game. For this, the platform, in addition to its store and community, offers as many as many interesting features as each other. here they are.
steam chat
Thanks to Steam’s text or audio channels, various users can talk to their contacts. They can even do this with complete sets. For this, they do not have to leave the platform. Moreover, this feature supports both tweets, videos, GIFs, and more.
steam broadcast
Among the main features of Steam, there is also a one-click live broadcast of each game. So we have the opportunity to Share your gaming experience With all his contacts. Of course, we also have the possibility to do this with the rest of the community.
Game axes
The platform also collects everything every player should know about their favorite title. in the same place. This feature allows you to participate in many discussions, but not only. It also provides the opportunity to get instant information on the latest updates and download content.
steam workshop
Workshop Steam allows you to create, discover and download all kinds of files makeup and content. So it was designed by the players themselves. It is available for more than 1000 games.
Steamworks
Steamworks is more than A set of services and tools Helping developers and publishers get the most out of their diverse work distribution on the platform. It gives the opportunity to reach a global audience.
Available on mobile
Contrary to popular belief, Steam is not only accessible on PC. In fact, the platform also has a file mobile version. The mobile application works on Android and iOS devices, and allows you to access it wherever you are.
Early access to games
On the Valve platform, we also have the opportunity to discover, play and participate in the evolution of different games. And the best part is that we can discover new titles in preview. We even have the opportunity to give our opinion about these new features.
Shopping made easy
When it comes to payment methods, there is no shortage of options on Steam. The store accepts it. more than 100. In addition, it also accepts no less than 35 currencies. Thanks to this, you can enjoy great flexibility in paying as you wish.
multilanguage
In order to expand the internationally popular platform, it is necessary for Valve to create a global community. For this reason, it supports up to 28 languages at the current hour. But the company is not ready to stop there yet, and therefore intends to add others in the future.
controller support
Finally, Steam encourages various developers to Submit Support for controllers in their different titles. These consoles include Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles. Apart from these few features, the platform also allows you to unlock achievements, read reviews, and much more.
What devices does the platform work on?
Valve’s online digital content distribution platform is currently available at Windows, macOS and Linux. As we mentioned above, it can also be accessed via any Android and iOS device. Please note, however, that some games may not be compatible with certain devices.
If this is the case, a warning will appear immediately when trying to install this or that game. For those who still do not know, it is possible to purchase and download titles using Steam from other sites. In this case, we usually receive a product key to activate games purchased on the platform.
In general, the game keys provided can only be used once. It is then necessary to make sure that he does not share it with his friends before activating his applications. As soon as a particular game is activated, it is added wandering to the user library. So it doesn’t have to keep the key in the file.
What about SteamVR?
As its name suggests, SteamVR is a version of the Steam platform itself, and is somewhat dedicated to Consumer Virtual Reality. It was announced in March 2015, and saw the light of day in April 2016. To develop it, Valve worked with the Taiwanese company HTC, which launched its own VR glasses HTC Vive.
The VR platform allows you to play virtual reality games, especially in the latter, but also on Oculus Rift headphones, Windows Mixed Reality and of course the Valve pointer. In its design, Gabe Newell managed to to solve Most of the problems related to virtual reality technology. We can cite, among other things, motion sickness position tracking.
In short, SteamVR is the perfect tool for To take full advantage of Virtual reality on a virtual reality headset of their choice. Just like the original platform, this one offers quite a few interesting features. Note however that it is essential to have a gaming PC powerful enough to run it.
SteamVR: What are the system requirements?
To be able to install SteamVR and enjoy the VR games on offer, it is important that you have a computer with at least an Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 processor. This must be accompanied by 4GB at least.
The device must also have at least one NVIDIA GeForce graphics card GTX970 or AMD Radeon R9290. Everything should work under Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 or Windows 11.
In addition, the PC must have at least a USB 2.0 port, HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.2. To enjoy a better VR experience, it is best to turn to NVIDIA GeForce graphics card GTX-1060AMD Radeon RX 480 or better.
