9 Tips That New Steam Users Should Find Useful
Steam, a video game store/platform has solved many issues that gamers had in the past. Gabe Newell famously said that pirating is a problem of service, and Steam became the solution to the problem.
Gamers can now keep and access their games from a single location so long as they are part of the Steam library.
If you are someone new who still has not taken the time to figure out the ins and outs of Steam, this article should come in quite handy.
Fix Potential Launch Issues
Let's start with launch issues. Overall, Steam is quite reliable, and there should not be problems using the platform unless the developers are fixing it and need to take the service down, or you have internet or other problems on your end.
Having said that, it is still possible that Steam might not open even if you have no issues with the internet network. The likeliest cause of that is cache. If you wish to fix steam not opening on your computer, clearing the cache manually or via a cleanup utility tool should solve the problem.
Manage Video Game Libraries
If you add too many games in your Steam account, you might find it difficult to browse through the entire collection to find the game you wish to install and play. The search button is useful for that, but it is also worth your while to create collections.
You can add categories to a digital game library and have an easier time sorting through different titles. For instance, there could be categories for indie, action, RPG, sports, and other video game genres.
Look Forward to Sales
Patience is a good virtue to have as a gamer. If you are eager to play a game but want to save money, do not rush it and wait for the next Steam sale.
Some discounts go up to 90 percent, meaning that you get a game at a very low price. And it is not discounts for specific game genres, but general discounts for different video games available on Steam.
Keep in mind, though, that such discounts are usually available for video games that have been released for a while. When it comes to more recent titles, you can expect discounts to be in the range of 10 to 30 percent.
Note that sales occur more than once every year. Some are bigger than others, but the bottom line is that you can save money by waiting.
Buy Gifts
If you know someone who wants a video game on Steam but cannot afford it or has no payment method, you can buy a game and gift it.
Once you visit a game's page in the Steam store, you see two options—purchase for yourself and purchase as a gift.
Before you spend money, though, remember that the recipient of the gift has to be in your friendlist on Steam.
Spend Tokens and Other Currency
After purchasing a video game with real money, you get virtual Steam currency—tokens. These tokens do not offer real value.
Instead, you should treat them as novelties and invest in various animated emotes, backgrounds for your Steam profile, and other vanities. If nothing else, it is still fun to receive something for spending money on the platform.
Trade Game Items
Most video games drop trading cards that you can sell for money on Steam wallet or turn into gems and use those to buy badges.
There are also a few games that have a loot-box like system. By playing a game, you are eligible for skin drops. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and DOTA 2 are prime examples of this.
If you get such a drop, you can sell it for money and get extra funds in your Steam wallet. And if you prefer, you can keep the skins for yourself and use them in games.
Get a Refund
If a video game has too many bugs, fails to meet your expectations, or does not run on a computer despite you meeting the necessary requirements, you can refund the game.
Refunds are valid so long as you have not played the game for more than two hours, and less than two weeks have passed after the purchase.
Use Steam Guard
A little bit of extra security does not hurt. Some would argue that there is hardly any reason to bother protecting a Steam account because it consists of just video games, right?
Well, it is still personal information we are talking about, and as a rule of thumb, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Enable Steam Guard as an extra security layer and have some peace of mind knowing that your Steam profile is protected.
Opt in for Steam Beta
Steam Beta is a good way to test features that have not become public yet. If you wish to be part of the community that makes Steam a better platform to use, join the testing team and help the developers.