Popular PC games marketplace Steam is making a big change to the way its users access free games and DLC by adding a new function.
Even while competitors like the Epic Games Launcher offer PC gamers other ways to access their favorite titles, those who wield a mouse and keyboard while gaming will almost always have access to Valve's Steam platform. As well as having plenty of paid titles for gamers to enjoy, Steam also has plenty of free games on offer. However, even with free games being something that a lot of gamers enjoy, some of them found it an annoying process to activate those titles through Valve's marketplace.
It was the case that Steam users used to have to initiate the installation of a free game in order to add it to their library. This would prove to be annoying for some as they would have to close the window that asked them to install their new game or face losing some precious space on their hard drive. However, Valve has since changed the way its users can get their hands on its hundreds of free titles, with a simple new feature that many have been requesting for a while.
This new, simple feature is an Add to Library button which can be found on the Steam Desktop app. Next to any free-to-play game, this button will do as the name suggests and add that title to a user's library. This works for any free release on Steam, including DLC and titles that are made free for a limited time such as Ninja Stealth, a stealth game that was given away in June. For Steam users, this is a great feature, as they will no longer have to face the annoying pop-up asking them if they'd like to install a new free game right away.
For some, it may seem strange that it has taken Steam so long to implement this feature. The Epic Games Store allows its free games to be added to the user's library without the hassle of an installation screen. However, with the Epic Games Store, fans can expect a new free title every week, whereas Steam has no such offer, meaning Valve's platform doesn't have as much of a focus on its free games.
PC gamers often associate Steam's best offers with its famous sales. Users will often ready their wallets in the Summer, for example, when one of the biggest Steam sales takes place, offering discounts on hundreds of titles. More recently, the Steam Survival Fest began in early August, giving fans large discount on some of the survival genre's best games.