Valve is back with another feature update for its PC gaming store and client Steam. This time, It is adding granular settings for users to choose when and how exactly can games download updates. This is part of the brand-new Steam Client Beta update that went live today.
Currently in the live build, Steam will measure users" previous interactions with games to judge whether a brand-new updates needs immediate downloading, or keep it for later. There are existing options to set download times and speed limits, but Valve says these have not been deemed enough:
"While this default behavior works in most cases, there are times when you need more control of when updates are applied. Some users might want to delay updating a 200GB game until they are ready to play it again in a few months, especially if they are on metered connections or have monthly bandwidth caps. For others who play the same game every night, they might want updates downloaded as soon as they are available.
The process of automatic updates itself can be changed in the beta client now. The Downloads section in the app"s settings page can be used to change the default behavior to "let Steam decide when to update the game" or "wait to update until the game is launched."
Next, going to any game"s properties in the beta client will reveal the new Automatic Updates section that applies changes just to that title.
The four available options here are: set it to use the chosen Global Setting, wait until the user launches the game to update, let Steam decide (depending on user history), and give priority to download any update to it immediately, skipping any other restrictions.
Once Valve decides the feature is ready to ship, it will move to the main client from beta at a later date. For those who can"t wait, they can switch to the Steam Beta Client by heading to the app"s Settings > Interface section and changing the Client Beta Participation dropdown to the latest version available.