New Steam Chat features go live

Valve has flipped the switch to release new features for Steam chat.

The new Steam chat boasts a flexible friends list with a drag and drop functionality. Friends are automatically grouped by game and party, and favorite buddies can be pinned on top for easier communication.

The new Steam chat is also multimedia friendly. When words just aren’t enough, users can send GIFs and images. Valve also embedded support for YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, Imgur, Giphy, and more.

Steam’s new user interface is very similar to popular chat application Discord. Steam group chats are built for gaming. It is now easier to identify friends who are online and ready to play. Users can also create channels within their groups.

The new voice chat feature promises to deliver greater quality with its new WebRTC-based backend. Open mic support is improved with better noise filtering and volume detection. Users can also rest easier knowing that the voice chat traffic is encrypted. IP addresses will not be disclosed, masking the user’s location .

A new invisible mode can now be enabled, allowing users to appear offline but still granting them access to the Steam chat features.

Some existing features have also been revamped. Chat history loads up to two weeks of conversations. Nicknames set for friends are now prioritized and are displayed in-game as well as in chat.

The updated Steam chat is available in both the Steam client and through web browsers.