Valve's New Steam Beta Aims to End Vague Performance Reviews

Valve has started rolling out a Steam Client Beta change that lets users optionally attach hardware specs when writing (or updating) a Steam user review on a game's store page. The idea is straightforward: performance complaints like stutters, crashes, or low FPS are hard to judge without knowing the reviewer's setup. With the new beta option, reviewers can include their specs without manually typing them into the review text.

A second beta toggle collects anonymized framerate data

In the same beta update, Valve also added an opt-in setting to share "anonymized framerate data." Valve's notes say gameplay FPS data is "stored without connection to your Steam account" and will be used to "learn about game compatibility and improve Steam." Valve also says this FPS collection feature is currently focused on devices running SteamOS, which would include Steam Deck-class hardware, where performance and compatibility are constant hot topics.

Early beta limitations and what's still unclear

One wrinkle: at least in early beta builds, it's not yet clear how widely the attached specs are being displayed to other users. Third-party reports say that the feature exists in the review flow, but suggest the attached hardware info may not be visible to readers yet during beta testing. Valve's patch notes also don't specify exactly which fields will be shown (beyond "hardware specs") or whether the display will evolve before it hits the stable client.

How to try it right now

To participate in the Steam Client Beta and access the new hardware review tools, you can:

Open the Steam client and click Steam in the upper left corner. Select Settings from the dropdown menu. Navigate to the Interface tab. Under Client Beta Participation, open the dropdown menu and select Steam Beta Update. Click Restart Now when prompted to relaunch Steam and apply the update.

Other related tweaks in the same update

Valve bundled the review/specs and FPS options alongside other client changes, including Steam Families navigation tweaks. This streaming fix could leave downloads throttled after streaming stopped, a Linux/Proton offline-mode fix for very large libraries, and an added prompt for Steam Deck users who disagree with a Deck Verified rating to optionally provide a reason.

The move addresses a long-standing frustration in the Steam community. When browsing game reviews, users frequently encounter complaints about performance issues but have no way to know if those problems stem from the game itself or from the reviewer's hardware configuration. A player with a high-end gaming rig complaining about frame drops provides very different context than someone with integrated graphics experiencing the same issue.

This feature could significantly improve the utility of Steam reviews for both developers and potential buyers. Developers could better understand which hardware configurations are causing problems, while shoppers could filter or weigh reviews based on their own system specifications. The anonymized framerate data collection adds another layer of insight, potentially allowing Valve to identify compatibility issues across different hardware configurations without compromising user privacy.

The beta nature of these features means they could change substantially before public release. The current uncertainty about how hardware specs will be displayed suggests Valve is still experimenting with the best way to present this information to users. Whether the specs appear prominently next to reviews or require users to click through to see them could significantly impact how useful the feature proves to be.

For Steam Deck users, the framerate data collection is particularly relevant. The handheld gaming PC has a unique hardware configuration that doesn't always match traditional PC gaming setups, making performance data especially valuable for the growing Steam Deck community.

The update represents Valve's ongoing efforts to improve the Steam platform's review system and data collection capabilities. By making performance feedback more contextual and actionable, Valve aims to create a more informative ecosystem for both game developers and consumers navigating the vast Steam library.