Steam, despite some controversial competition lately, is still the king of PC gaming — the ubiquitous platform sports a massive list of features, even basic ones like a shopping cart. One of the areas where Steam has struggled, however, is the quality of its mobile app. Now, Steam Link is a fine application and I use it almost daily, but the main one is just... rough. One of Steam's most robust features is its communication tools and Chat, one of the core elements of that, just got separated out into its own app and I have to say, it's pretty nice.

Gone is the horribly basic messaging system, so instead welcome things like a fresh design, rich chat features, invite links, group chats, and customizable notification settings. I can't say that I personally use Chat all that often since my Steam friends aren't online that much and I have Discord. Still, for people who like to have Steam Chat on their phone, this app is a solid option and certainly preferable to the main app. Valve says that voice chat and other improvements are coming soon, too.

"We’re already working on improvements to the Steam Chat app, including voice chat. With Steam Chat moving to its own dedicated app, the original Steam Mobile app will see significant upgrades focused on account security. Our plans include better Steam Guard options to help securely log into your Steam account, such as QR codes and one-touch login, and improved app navigation."

Whether we see an update that removes Chat from the Steam app remains to be seen or not, but both options worked for me this morning. All I know is that I want this new design across all of Steam, including the ugly main app.

Source: Steam