Valve shows off a fully overhauled Steam in-game overlay, now available in beta

New tool bar in icon mode

Valve continues its rollout of slow but content-packed Steam client overhaul updates, and the next one on the list is the aging in-game overlay. Revealed today, this reimagining arrives as part of a larger code restructuring happening behind the scenes for the entire Steam software ecosystem that contains the desktop client, Big Picture mode, and the Steam Deck.

As the embedded images show off, gone are the multiple information boxes at the bottom, with a much cleaner tool bar (which can be in icon or list view) taking its place to offer access to all the previous and some new options. Users can pick and choose what windows they want open, and Steam will remember the selection between games for easy access.

New tool bar in list mode

Game Overview is one of the new options, quickly showing off what achievements are close to triggering, playtime, screenshots, guides, and other relevant information to the game being played. Also new is the Notes section, letting players jot down whatever they need on a per-game basis which Valve will sync across devices and is accessible outside games.

The Notes, Guides, Discussions, and the web browser windows can now also be pinned, letting their most essential parts hover in front of the game even when the overlay is disabled. At the same time, Valve has updated client notifications to show more relevant updates and the screenshot manager to be more offer more information and be snappier. Users will also find minor UI changes across the client, with places like the header, settings, and server browser all getting some touch-ups.

Pinning feature in action

To join the Steam Client Beta, head to the Account tab in settings and change the Beta Participation dropdown. On the Steam Deck, this can be found in the System menu's Beta Participation section, which goes the same for Big Picture users.

Valve also highlighted that hardware acceleration is finally coming to macOS and Linux versions of Steam, enabling faster and more responsive UI elements. Linux users can try it out right now, but macOS users must wait a couple of weeks for their beta update to land.

Valve shows off a fully overhauled Steam in-game overlay, now available in beta