Valve updates Steam — improved shopping cart and ability to hide games from friends

On the night of March 5, Valve released a Steam update that brought several new features. It was tested in the Steam beta from the end of December and now it has become accessible to all on the desktop client, mobile app, and Steam Deck.

During beta testing, the developers have made adjustments and improvements based on feedback received — in particular, downloadable content for private apps will be private by default. You can change this option in the app properties on the game’s page in the library. The developers have also added a special indicator at the top of the friends list to help you remember your current privacy status when playing a private game. Below is a summary of the new Steam features if suddenly missed the announcement in December.

New Steam features

• A bulk gifting option that allows you to buy games for several friends (and yourself) at the same time without having to place multiple orders through the shopping cart — all in one dialog box.
• One shopping cart for all devices: The contents of your shopping cart are now synchronized across all devices with access to your Steam account (including Deck and the mobile app).
• Private apps: a new profile privacy option for when you need to hide certain embarrassing games (18+) in your library from your friends and everyone else.
• Private purchases: the ability to mark games as private before placing an order so that this event does not appear in your friends’ feed.

All of these new features are now available and should be available as soon as you log in to Steam — including the mobile app and Steam Deck. They are a work in progress, and the developers are asking for your feedback and suggestions on how to improve the checkout process and overall Steam experience.