Valve’s new Steam beta lets users add their PC specs to reviews

User reviews on Steam may get more information after the Steam Client Beta update Released on Thursdaywhich adds an option for users to attach their device specifications to game reviews. Steam users have always been able to share their specifications in the text of their reviews, but the option to automatically include that data could encourage more users to add them, which could make reviews more useful.

When a user posts a negative review or reports performance issues, the attached hardware specs can reveal the cause, highlighting cases where performance issues may be caused by the player’s hardware rather than an issue with the game itself (such as specs that are below the minimum recommended for the game). The option appears as a checkbox next to the text window where users type their reviews, so users who prefer not to share their device data can leave the box unchecked.

Thursday’s beta update also includes an option for users to share anonymized frame rate data with Valve. The update notes state that this data will be “stored offline to your Steam account” and will be used to monitor game compatibility and improve Steam. However, this option is currently focused on devices running SteamOS, Valve’s Linux-based operating system that runs on the Steam Deck.