What Is Steam? How to Install It on Your PC
If you’re new to PC gaming, you might be wondering where to get the latest games and titles. Console users are typically tied to a service – the digital store provided by the console manufacturer – such as the PlayStation Store, the Microsoft Store on your Xbox Series X|S, or the Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo Switch.
However, if you are a PC gamer, you have a lot of options. And one such option that offers a colossal selection of titles is Steam. Here’s exactly what it is and how to install it on your PC.
What is steam?
Valve, the publisher of many popular games like Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Left 4 Dead, and Dota, released the Steam service in 2003 to help users automatically update their Valve games online.
The service added third-party games two years after its launch, allowing users to download titles from other game developers. As of 2021, Steam reported over 400 million visits to its massive 44,000 games and apps library.
It also offers Steam Cloud which allows you to sync your game progress across all your devices via Steam. This way you can pick up where you left off. So once you’ve started gaming on your school or work laptop (or on your Steam Deck), you can continue seamlessly on your desktop gaming PC.
So if you are looking for games for your new PC, you will most likely find games you like in one of the largest online libraries. And if you can’t think of any specific titles, Steam has several ways to help you find games you’ll love.
You might also be surprised to learn that Steam offers apps for productivity and other types of work. You can find several Windows programs that you can install through Steam to help you customize your PC and get your work done.
How to install the Steam desktop app
Before you can create a free Steam account, you need to install the Steam desktop app on your computer. That’s how it’s done:
- Go to the Steam website.
- Click in the top right corner of the screen Install Steam.
- You will be redirected to Steam’s About page. Click on that Install Steam button on the main screen.
- Once installed, open the Steam app on your PC.
Even though the Steam app is already installed, you won’t be able to access the thousands of games in their library until you create an account. Here’s how.
How to create a Steam account
You can easily create a Steam account once you have the desktop app installed on your PC. Here’s what you need to do when you open the app for the first time:
- From the Steam login screen, click the Create a free account Link in the lower right corner.
- Fill in all the required details and then confirm your email.
- After the email confirmation, create your Steam account name and password. After successfully creating these, you can now log into your Steam account in the Steam app.
With this, you now have access to thousands of games and millions of players on Steam. Your next step would be to find games, add them to your library and install them on your PC.
How to find and install Steam games
Finding titles to play on Steam is easy. Just click the save tab at the top of the Steam app and you are on the Steam store page. There you will find newly released titles and personal recommendations from Steam. You can also browse games by category or genre to find titles that suit your tastes.
When you find a game you like, click on it to go to the game page. Once there, scroll down a bit to see all the listings on the title you like. When you have selected the offer you want, click Add to Cart to send it to your cart in the Steam store.
If you want to buy other titles, you can search for other games and add them to your shopping cart even if you have not yet paid for the other games in your shopping cart. Steam lets you buy games individually or multiple titles at once, saving you time.
By the way, when you buy a game, you should make sure that your computer can run it. Always check how much disk space you need to install a Steam game. You can also find a game’s system requirements by scrolling down on its main page. You will find the system requirements listed under About this game Section.
When you’re done shopping, click the Cart button in the upper right corner of the store. There you will see the summary of all games and apps that you buy. Click on buy for me to go to the Payment Method screen.
After filling in the details, click Continue, and you will see a final purchase summary. If you are satisfied that everything is ok, put a check mark I agree to the terms of the Steam Subscriber Agreement checkboxthen press Buy.
Once the purchase is complete, go to Library tab. to view the purchased games. Click and select one of the titles you just paid for To installand follow the installation instructions in the next window.
The Install button on the game page changes to To play when the installation is complete. Select it and you are now immersed in your first Steam game.
Start playing on your PC with Steam
After installing Steam on your computer, you can access thousands of games online. You can find all kinds of games on Steam – from the most popular AAA games like Forza Horizon series, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series, Grand Theft Auto V and more to niche titles like Euro Truck Simulator 2, Stray, and Stardew Valley.
You can also find many games for free or with a significant discount: click to find them Play for free under Browse by genre or by going to special offers under Browse categories. You will never get bored of playing again.
Steam is one of the best places to find games, especially if you’re looking for specific titles. But if you want value for money, you should check out some of the best PC gaming subscriptions you can find.