Steam has unveiled its latest Client Beta patch notes, introducing a significant enhancement aimed at refining the game review process. In a move that promises to elevate the transparency of user feedback, the platform now allows reviewers to include their system specifications alongside any new or updated reviews they submit. This addition is poised to assist prospective buyers in understanding how the hardware used by reviewers may have influenced their opinions.
Enhancing Review Transparency
Previously, the only way to ascertain a reviewer’s system specifications was through their own initiative, either by mentioning it in the review or detailing it in their profile. However, such disclosures were rare, leaving potential buyers in the dark about how hardware disparities could affect gameplay experiences. With the new feature, users will be able to see the specifications of a reviewer’s system, enabling them to better assess whether any performance issues noted in a review stem from the game itself or are merely a result of hardware incompatibility.
Consider the case of a reviewer equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and a high-end MSI RTX 5090 Lightning Z. This powerful setup excels in running demanding AAA titles, such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which requires a ray-tracing GPU and an Intel Core i7-10700K as its minimum specification. In contrast, a player using a more modest AMD Ryzen 5 5500 paired with an older GTX graphics card would likely encounter a vastly different gaming experience. The new feature aims to bridge this gap in understanding.
As for the implementation of this feature, it remains to be seen whether Steam will leverage its existing Steam Hardware Survey data to automatically populate user specifications or if gamers will need to manually input their components into their profiles. The former option could streamline the process but may raise privacy concerns, while the latter could lead to inaccuracies if users misrepresent their setups. Regardless, this feature will remain optional, allowing users the choice to keep their hardware details private if they prefer.
