A new Steam feature is currently rolling out for PC developers, further emboldening teams to work with their communities and improve their games. Valve has dubbed the new feature “Steam Playtest,” and like the name implies it’s a feature that allows developers to invite Steam users to playtest their games. The feature will also let Steam users request playtest access on games that employ it.
Developers will be able to create their own playtest without requiring Steam keys. When ready, developers can activate playtest signups on their game’s profile, and as players sign-up a queue system will be put in place. Developers can add testers from this queue, as well as manually invite testers. The tools will even provide details regarding how many players are already in the test, as well as how many are waiting in queue.
For players, there’s not much more to it. If a game has announced a playtest and activated its queue, there will be a button on the Steam profile to join it, and then it’s a matter of waiting. Entering a queue doesn’t guarantee a place in the test, but it’s an opportunity to try out an early build of the game nonetheless.
Playtest offers a unique opportunity to developers that Early Access builds can’t. Early Access requires players to pay upfront, and once the game is live it continues to be live. Playtest is not only free for Steam users, but can be used for specific purposes and then shut down. It should prove to be another reason why Steam continues to be such a popular platform for game developers.
Source: Steam
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