Steam Unveils Mobile App for iOS and Android – A Quick Look

Fans of Valve’s Steam platform have long requested a mobile app to be built around the service, and catering to that demand, one is finally en route. The app at the current time is in a closed beta stage, but it can still be downloaded by anyone who wants to add their name to the list of beta hopefuls (the respective app pages can be accessed here.)

The goals behind the Steam app are no doubt obvious. Dealing with a mobile Web browser to both browse the Steam website and its features isn’t ideal. A dedicated app customizes the experience and makes using the service on the go a much more enjoyable experience. With it, you’ll be able to keep tabs on what your friends are playing (and the achievements they earn), chat, see what’s new in the marketplace and even purchase a game so that it’s ready for downloading once you get home. To be clear, this is not an app for downloading mobile games.

After logging in, you’ll be greeted to a friends’ list like the one seen above. Here, you can see what your friends are doing, whether they’re playing a game or just idling, and you can also start up a conversation. Clicking on a friend shows a detailed profile about them as seen here:

Back at the main screen, you can hit the list icon up top to show this side-menu. You can browse the store from here, see your friend’s activity, peruse the various groups you belong to (or want to join) and check out some of Steam’s news feeds.

Here’s an example of what the activity feed looks like:

And here’s what a game page looks like:

On this page you will be able to view screenshots (not video, yet), and all relevant game information. As mentioned above, you can purchase the game straight through the app by typing in your credit card (or PayPal) information – or if money is stocked in your Steam Wallet, it will just use that.

With my limited experience so far, the app does seem to work quite well. I didn’t experience any glitches or odd behavior to speak of, and given that, it almost seems production-ready. I am sure it won’t be long before this one is marked as final and it can be enjoyed by anyone with an iOS or Android device.