Steam has been around since 2003, bringing us access to tons of games. They have over 30,000 games available for instant download, including a lot of indie games waiting to be discovered. This digital distribution service has also become a sort of community hub for many gamers as well. With spaces like Game Hubs to gather with other people playing the same games or the great chat features that let you chat with your friends, Steam aims to be the best one-stop shop for gamers. The newest feature they’ve added seems small at first, but it makes claiming some of the many free-to-play games and DLC add-ons a lot easier.
There are a couple of ways to find free stuff on Steam. You can browse their page which gathers all of the free-to-play games, or you can search for the game you want and check out the deals associated with it. Steam frequently has large discount events, so add games to your wishlist to be notified if they go on sale. Once you have found a free game or DLC add-on that you want, you will see a blue button that says “Add to Library.” That’s all you have to do in order to add the free game and features to your account!
Again, that seems so basic, but it took over a decade before this feature was added. Previously, you had to hit the green “Download” button. The installation process would start, and you would have to click out of it. Or sometimes the game the free DLC was attached to would automatically launch, which isn’t fun on certain slower computers. For example, Monster Hunter: World often has free add-ons for the game listed as different items to collect. Downloading a free add-on of new hairstyles would launch the entire game. That’s kind of a hassle, so some players might opt out of claiming free stuff in order to save time. With just this one feature, the entire process is way easier and much faster. Nothing will stop you as you add more games than you can play to your account now.
With tons of new games coming to Steam regularly, this feature is sure to be popular. Also, it will be interesting to see how this will work with the upcoming Steam Deck. Steam’s new gaming hardware aims to be a convenient way to play your favorite PC games on the go, without a laptop. The portable gaming device is on its way to customers soon, and it will feature a smooth transition between your PC and the console by linking your Steam account. You will be able to buy games and play through your library easily, so the “Add to Library” feature would be a great addition there too. So go on and add all the free stuff you want to your account, even if you never actually get to them!
