Steam tightens refund policy for Early Access games

Image: Steam

Eight years ago, Valve introduced a generous refund policy for Steam users. You could get a refund on any game, no questions asked, within 14 days of purchase as long as you played for less than two hours. However, this policy didn't quite apply to Early Access and Advanced Access games. 

In these programs, players could enjoy a game early before its official release, but playtime during that period didn't count towards the two-hour limit. This meant some could essentially play most of the game and then request a refund before release. To address this loophole, Valve has updated its policy. Now, any playtime in Early Access or Advanced Access will count towards the two-hour refund limit.

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Steam revamps family sharing with new features

Image: Valve

Steam revamped its family sharing with Steam Families. Families can now share games more easily with simultaneous play for different games, stronger parental controls, and easier gifting for kids.

Gone are the days of juggling Family Sharing and Family View. Now, families of up to six can play together without restrictions on how many devices you can authorize (except members can play the same game at once). If two people in your family want to play the same game, there needs to be a new copy bought and added to your library. Each member still maintains their saves, achievements, workshop files, and other features.

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Valve launches OLED version of the Steam Deck

Valve

Valve has unveiled the Steam Deck OLED, the next iteration of its portable gaming PC, over a year after launching the original Steam Deck.

The new model will be released on November 16 and boasts an enhanced OLED display, better audio, and a handful of quality-of-life improvements. It also promises a significant increase in battery life, with Valve estimating a 30 percent to 50 percent improvement over the launch version.

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'The Last of Us Part I' gets Steam Deck verified and PC patch

Image: Naughty Dog

The Last of Us Part I has finally earned the Steam Deck verified badge. Neil Druckmann had assured fans that Ellie and Joel would make it to Valve's portable PC, but the game had a rocky launch on PC a few months ago. Now, with the v1.1.0 patch, the game runs smoothly on Steam Deck and PC. However, Naughty Dog warns that the patch will require a full shader rebuild.

The patch fixes various crashes and glitches that affected the game. It also improves the HUD and the object pushing mechanic. On PC, the patch boosts the CPU and GPU performance and enhances the textures and lighting. It also resolves many gameplay bugs and issues for a better gaming experience. 

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