To get started using Steam, you’ll need a gaming-capable PC or Mac. You can also purchase games from the Steam store to play on your computer. Here’s how to get started: ..
Setting Up and Installing Steam
Creating a Steam account is the first step you’ll need to complete in order to use this gaming platform.
Steam is a digital distribution platform for video games that allows users to purchase games and DLC from the Steam Store. You can register for a free Steam account at the Steam website. Provide an email address for your account and confirm your country of residence. Steam pricing varies by location, and you’ll only be able to buy games from the Steam Store for your country. You’ll also need to confirm that you’re aged 13 years or older to be able to register. Click Continue once you’re ready.
If you do not receive the email within a few minutes, please check your spam folder. If you still do not receive the email, please contact Steam support. ..
Hello, my name is __________ and I would like to create a new Steam account. My secure password is _________. Please enter my display name and press Complete Sign Up to complete the account creation process. ..
Once Steam is installed, you can click the Log In button at the top of the page to sign in.
After you sign in, you’ll see the main Steam window. In the top left corner, you’ll see your account name and current game status. In the top right corner, you’ll see your library of games and recent purchases. Below that is a list of friends who are currently online. To the right of that is a list of chat channels. You can join any or all of them to talk with other Steam users. To start playing a game, click its icon in your library or on the Recent Purchases tab. If it’s not already open, Steam will open it and start playing automatically. ..
Purchasing and Installing Steam Games
The Games Library tab contains a list of your games, as well as any updates or changes that have been made to them since you last played them. You can also see how many times each game has been played, and how much time has passed since you last logged in. If you want to play a game that’s not in your library, you can right-click on it and select “Play Now”.
Steam users are not likely to have any games listed here, but Steam may automatically detect any installed games that it supports on your PC or Mac, including those linked to other Steam accounts.
When you purchase a game from the Steam Store, it will appear in your Steam library and be ready to install. You can also preview games before you purchase them to help you decide if they’re the right games for you. ..
To access the Steam Store, click on the Store tab in the client. This loads the webpage for the Steam Store in a separate window. Use the top or side menus to search through different game genres to find a game you wish to buy. ..
To purchase a new game, click on the store page for the game. If it’s a free-to-play game, press Play Game to start playing it, otherwise press Add to Cart to add it to your shopping cart. ..
To purchase a game for yourself, click the “Purchase for Myself” button on the main menu. You will be prompted to provide your payment details, and once purchased, the game will appear in your Library tab. ..
To install a game you’ve purchased on Steam, click the Library tab. Games that are currently uninstalled with appear greyed out in the left-hand list of your purchased Steam games. Click on a game, then press the Install button to begin the installation. ..
If you have not already done so, please add your game to your Steam library. You can find instructions on how to do this here. After adding the game, press the Next button. If you have not already done so, please confirm that you wish to install the game. If you are installing the game for the first time, please make sure that you have at least 4GB of disk space available for installation. After confirming that you wish to install the game, press the Next button. The installation process will now begin and may take some time depending on how large of a file the game is. Once it is complete, please press the Finish button to exit and return to this screen. ..
Press I Agree to accept the user agreement. Once you agree to the terms, Steam will begin downloading your game. Press Finish to close the installer options at this point. ..
You can monitor the progress of your download from the left-hand side menu in the Library tab. The installation will complete automatically once the download process has completed. ..
If you want to uninstall a Steam game, right-click on the game entry in the Library tab and from there, click Manage > Uninstall.
Playing Games On Steam
If you’re using the Windows 10 client, you can play most Steam games that are supported on the platform. However, some games may not be available at all on Windows 10.
If you’re using Steam on Linux or macOS, and want to see the games in your library that are supported by those platforms, click the Library tab. Games that you can’t install on your platform will appear with a grayed-out Install button.
If the game is not supported on your operating system or is not installed and ready to play, you can’t play it.
Chatting With Others On Steam
Steam is a platform for gamers to share their games and experiences with each other. You can access these pages, as well as view the latest Steam news, by clicking the Community tab in the Steam menu.
Steam is a great way to communicate with your friends and play games. Click the Friends & Chat button in the bottom-right section of your Steam window to access your Steam friends list.
Your Steam friends list will now appear in a separate window. Double-click on an added friend to begin chatting. To add a new friend, click the Add friend icon in the top-right corner. ..
To add a friend on Steam:
- Open Steam and sign in.
- Click on the three lines in the top left corner of the main screen (the one with your name and profile picture).
- Type in your friend’s name or email address and click on the Add Friend button.
- Your new friend will be added to your Steam friends list!
To remove a friend from your Steam friends list, right-click on your friend in the Steam friends list, then click Manage > Remove. ..
Stress-Free Gaming With Steam
Steam is a great way to enjoy a stress-free gaming experience on all major operating systems. New games are regularly added, and you can even set up a Steam Link to enjoy your PC games on a TV instead.
The next step is to start building your Steam library with new games. You don’t need to break the bank to do it, so remember to take advantage of the best times to buy digital games to build up your library cheaply. ..