Beta Steam Mobile App for Android and iOS

Just when Steam users thought they were safe from the platform’s wallet crushing sales, Valve has made it even easier for their customers to purchase content from their service. Today Valve announced the beta version of their mobile app for iOS and Android devices.

Prior to this smartphone users had access to the Steam website via their mobile browsers, and while purchases could be made, the experience was limited given the usual tiny screens. The people who utilize Steam on a regular basis requested a better solution and Valve delivered.

The app is currently in beta and is not fully available for Steam's 5 million current users. Those who are interested can download the app from their respective stores for free, and log in with their registered Steam accounts. This registration will automatically sign users up for the beta, and grant access as Valve makes the service available for more users.

On top of being able to quickly jump on the latest steam sale, users of this mobile app will be able to see which of their friends are online and initiate chats. One useful aspect of such features will be the ability to organize a session of multiplayer games like Counter-Strike: GO while commuting home from work or class. Solo gamers will still have plenty of content, as users will also be able to check out game screenshots and community pages from their devices.

The Steam mobile app is definitely something gamers with iOS and Android devices can get behind, and the app could also open the doors to a Steam mobile gaming service. Right now PC and Mac gamers can download titles for their platforms, so it isn't crazy to think that somewhere down the line developers could make mobile titles available through Steam for their smartphones.

This of course will open a whole new set of issues with the Apple App Store and Android Marketplace, and how those will be handled is something we look forward to seeing if that day ever comes.

What do you think of the new Steam mobile app? Are you excited or fearful that those irresistible Steam sales are now easier to access?

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