Too “mobile” or simply clearer and more user-friendly?
It's that time again. Every few years, Steam changes the look and user interface of its platform. But as is often the case when something changes, the latest change to the store interface has been met with mostly mixed reactions.
But is there something to it this time, or is it actually better than before? What exactly has changed?
The new store navigation menu is now available for some users in the Steam client.You can also see the new experimental video player on some games like PEAK. pic.twitter.com/Gzg4BhMrCW
— SteamDB (@SteamDB) July 25, 2025
What's New?
You'll quickly notice that all the tags and links on the left side of the page have disappeared. They've been combined with the blue menu bar, which most users use the most anyway. At the same time, the search and menu bars are now a little “smarter.” Games and categories that suit you or that you've recently viewed are suggested.
“Recommendations” now has its own tab in the menu, and "Browse" also allows you to quickly narrow down your game selection. Along with many small changes, Steam's goal was to make it easier to find what you're looking for, as “the most frequently visited areas were often difficult to find.”
Optimized For Tablets?
Many users were actually not thrilled when they were confronted with the new interface. Above all, many criticized that it looks as if someone is trying to design an interface for mobile devices or tablets.
It actually seems much more difficult to use; you have to click more to get things done. I'm tired of companies “beautifying” their user interfaces by making them less user-friendly to cater to the five people who do everything on a tablet laptop.
Some also find that the pages now feel a bit empty. All the information is in the middle of the interface and all the space around the edges remains unused. It would be cool if you could buy nice decorations or similar items from the points shop to fill the pages.
But not all reactions were negative. Many are convinced that the new interface has definitely achieved its goal.
good lord, it's actually so, so much better. And the categories tab is actually comprehensible to look at!
Overall, I think the new interface is a success. The previous version was so cluttered and confusing that it almost discouraged you from wanting to browse for any length of time. Now I find it easier to navigate, even though I can understand the criticism about the “mobile” version. At least there's no annoying AI chatbot (yet).
What do you think of the new interface? Is something like this even important to you, or do you not care what the interface looks like?