Steam’s own streaming functionality was introduced to the Beta version of the digital distribution client back in December last year, which offered an alternative for gamers to watch their friends play games without the streamer having to use of third-party software, such as XSplit or OBS. In a new update to the client itself, the feature has exited Beta testing and is now available for all Steam users to enjoy.
To watch what a friend is doing whilst they are playing their game, users will have to right-click on their friend’s name and select “Watch Game.” Depending on how the friend has configured their privacy settings, this action will prompt them to accept before the user can view their stream. Those wanting to use Steam Broadcasting can adjust their in-client privacy settings to determine whether anyone or just friends can view their stream. There’s also an option for invite-only. Regardless of which privacy setting is chosen, however, if someone starts watching the game will automatically start being streamed, although there is an option to disable the feature entirely.
Steam Broadcasting will also record and save users’ streams locally, but (by default) using other recording software at the same time may conflict with the feature. The client will only record the game’s source, and clicking off the game will cause the stream to replace the display with placeholder graphic. Once a user has stopped playing their game, the stream (and its recording) will automatically stop, but users will have the option to stop the stream manually without closing their game. Streams will also not be archived like they can be on Twitch TV.
Additional changes to the Steam client include an in-game frames per second counter in the Steam Overlay, along with some fixes and improvements to both the client itself and to its Big Picture functionality. You can read more on the client’s more recent update and Steam Broadcasting via the source links below.
[ Via: Polygon ]