Valve’s Steam game download service cum social portal cum game launcher has just got even better. Valve has taken the beta training wheels off its new in-game browser allowing you instantly bring up a handy web browser without running the Alt + Tab gauntlet.
From any Steam game you can now hit Shift + Tab to bring up the in-game Steam overlay, then click the Web button to start surfing.Users of the beta will find little different other than a couple minor tweaks to make it run smoother.
Although Firefox probably doesn’t have reason to panic, there are a couple of very obvious uses for a web browser like this. It’ll be great for managing your clan or buddies while playing online, or looking for walkthroughs when you get stuck. Sure, it’s cheating (unless the game is made by Bethesda) but it beats quitting and restarting the game or risking losing valuable progress while you minimise to the desktop.
If it’s a popular feature – and there’s no reason to think people would start hating it – we wouldn’t be surprised if one of console makers tried something similar. It’s been expected from Sony’s PS3 ever since the browser first showed up, and it would be especially handy on a console where there is no means of swapping between programs.
