If you are an avid gamer then surely you will already know the Steam platform but if you enter the world of gaming only today then you may not know how Steam works and what it is. Since this platform is one of the most used I suggest you read this short article to get a first “smattering” on Steam, I assure you it’s worth it!
Index
- How Steam works
- Steam installation
- Downloading Video Games with Steam
- Free video games with Steam
How Steam works
Before seeing how Steam works I want to quickly explain what it is. Steam is a platform created in 2003 by Valve that allows you to buy digital editions of video games (some of which are exclusive) and which has over 35 million users. Steam is available for Windows, Mac and Linux and looks like a sort of huge game store in a digital version with the addition of other important features such as sections dedicated to individual titles. The catalog of games has grown dramatically over the years and today there are more than 20,000 titles.
But how does Steam work for the purchase of video games? The purchases are linked to the account and this means that if you buy a video game with your account you will always have the possibility to download it even on different computers. So, if you change computers, all you have to do is start the steam interface and re-download the game. Video games can be purchased using different forms of digital payment (for example Paypal or credit card). Inside Steam you will also find free video games that you can download freely without having to pay a single euro.
The Steam interface is very similar to that of an online shop, clicking on a video game title will open its tab where you will find additional information and also the comments left by those who bought the product .; to buy a video game you will have to add it to the cart and then proceed with the payment by entering the data of a credit card or paypal once the purchases are finished.
You can buy games for your account and in this case the download will start immediately or for third parties, for example to make a gift; in this case you can send the gift to a person with whom you have a friendship on Steam and you can also postpone the delivery if you want to schedule it for a specific event, for example on your birthday.
In addition to the purchase of video games, Steam offers a lot of enriched content every day by all its users who upload reviews, comments, images etc. through the forum or the guides and news sections.
Steam installation
Now that you know roughly how Steam works, if you’ve decided to give it a try, let’s see how to take the first steps. Steam installation is pretty straightforward and requires first creating a Steam account and then installing a client.
First, then you will need to register on Steam and create an account that you will later use to make purchases. To create an account connected to the Steam web page and press the Login item ; in the next window click on Enter Steam . You will then have to fill in the required data (email address, password, country etc.) and accept the conditions of use of the service. Once everything is complete you will receive an email at the specified address with a link inside to press to confirm the email address. At this point, the creation of the account on Steam is completed and you will be able to log in to Steam using the email address and password you chose during registration.
To install the Steam client, you need to connect to the main web page of the service and from here access the download section. From this page press the button that says Install Steam now ; the Steam installation file will be downloaded. once the download is complete, double click on the downloaded file to start the Steam installation procedure; follow the on-screen instructions to perform the few steps required to complete the installation.
Downloading Video Games with Steam
Once you have purchased a video game, both paid and free, you can proceed to download it on any computer on which the Steam client is installed. The procedure for downloading Videogames with Steam is very simple; you will have to open the Steam program and go to the library (by pressing on the word Library at the top); a window will open where you will see, on the left, all the video games you have purchased. Just double click on one of these titles to download it to your computer, the installation will be automatic.
Free video games with Steam
As I had anticipated at the beginning of the article on Steam you will also find many free video games, in some cases they are demos and in other cases of freeware games that do not require any purchase.
Not only that, you will often find many advantageous offers on Steam and games for less than 5 euros; however, these are famous and very valid titles offered for a limited period. then there is no shortage of summer and winter sales with discounts of up to 90 percent.
Steam has also created a portable console, called Steam Deck , due out at the end of 2021, which allows you to play Steam titles wherever you are; this is because through the Wifi connection you can synchronize it with your Steam library and download all the games you have purchased.
Now that you know how Steam works, you will surely understand why this platform is so loved by all gamers in the world; you just have to start trying it now! On this page you will find other articles on the world of video games.
