The latest client update for Steam already refuted a claim that a new vibe-coded launcher by Epic Games was faster, as the latest release from Valve narrowly beats out its competitor in cold start loading times by fractions of a second. Steam users can now download the latest client update for free after restarting the app.
Periodically, Valve releases client updates aimed at adding new features and improving the quality-of-life across its current Steam product slate. In August 2026, Valve released a Steam Deck beta update that added HDR support to the OLED model when playing a PC game via Remote Play, along with experimental support for AV1 video streaming directly from the system. Given that the Steam Deck OLED has sometimes been in short supply due to a global component shortage, it is unclear how many users are able to take advantage of the updated Remote Play feature.
A newly released top-down shooter on Steam removes its price tag, allowing all players to download and play the game at no additional cost.
Shortly after Epic Games revealed an AI-coded launcher that was stated to load faster than the Steam Client by nearly five seconds, Valve responded with a new update to match what Epic did. After the update is downloaded and installed, Steam users will notice that loading times have been decreased upon launching the client. 24 seconds faster than the new Epic Games Launcher that was released as a Preview build for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Ergo, Steam's newest desktop client update rendered Epic's new launcher claim a moot point.
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