Steam client beta adds a handy new Notes app and in-game overlay

Sticky notes, now on Steam

Valve is testing out some new features for its PC storefront and game client Steam, and there’s some cool features in there. Alongside some under-the-hood changes, the latest Steam Desktop Client beta adds a handy-dandy Notes app.

The Notes app will let you jot down information about whatever you’re currently playing. Via Valve’s blog about the feature, the Notes will allow for rich text formatting, multiple notes per game, and can be used offline. They’ll also be saved per game and synced across to any other PCs you log into.

That alone sounds nice, if not all too different from using the Notepad app on your desktop. The aspect that puts it over for me is the ability to pin windows into the overlay, so they can appear in-game. With adjustable opacity levels and hidden UI options, this will let players pin guides, discussions, or Notes while they play. You can even pin the web browser, if you want to play games and watch Family Guy like you’re on TikTok.

This functionality seems really excellent, especially for those who don’t have dual monitors. There are some games where I already take down paper notes while I play; stuff like Return of the Obra Dinn or Disco Elysium. I doubt I’d do away with that for more complicated games where I’d need some amount of physical note-taking space and freedom. But for quick check-list items, or remembering something like synergies in Vampire Survivors, this feature seems great.

Pumping up the Steam

This Steam client beta also includes a refreshed screenshot manager, which has more thumbnail options and managing both online and local screenshots.

With some extra updates under the hood, meant to implement changes faster, it seems like Steam’s got some neat features headed down the pipeline. At the very least, my habit of watching YouTube video essays while playing Slay the Spire just got a convenient quality-of-life update.