Steam

Steam is a video game digital distribution service and storefront by Valve. It was launched as a standalone software client in September 12,2003 as a way for Valve to provide automatic updates for their games, and expanded to distributing and offering third-party game publishers' titles. Steam offers various features, like digital rights management(DRM), game server matchmaking and anti-cheat measures, and social networking and game streaming services. It provides the user with automatic game updating, saved gamecloud synchronization, and community features such as friends messaging, in-game chat and a community market. The software provides a freely available application programming interface (API) called Steamworks, which developers can use to integrate Steam's functions into their products, including in-game achievements, microtransactions, and user-created content support. Initially developed for Microsoft Windows operating systems, it was released for macOS in 2010 and Linux in 2012. Mobile apps to access online Steam features were first released for iOS and Android in 2012. The platform also offers a selection of digital content and Valve gaming hardware, including productivity software, game soundtracks, videos and VR headset Valve Index.

The Steam platform is the largest digital distribution platform for PC gaming, holding around 75% of the market share in 2013. By 2017, users purchasing games through Steam totaled roughly US$4.3 billion, representing at least 18% of global PC game sales. By 2019, the service had over 34,000 games with over 95 million monthly active users. The success of Steam has led to the development of the Steam Machine platform in 2015, which includes the SteamOS operating system and Steam Controller, Steam Link devices for local game streaming, and handheld PC Steam Deck tailored for running Steam games in 2022.