Valve Announces Steam Mobile App

It’s as if millions of wallets suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

Valve just announced the mobile Steam App, which doesn’t play games just yet, but does allow mobile access to all the social functions of Steam like chat, profiles, and screenshots.

Unfortunately the app is in closed beta right now, so while you can download it on iOS or Android with this link, you won’t be able to actually sign in unless you have beta access. The press release doesn’t mention when the app will be widely available, but states that “gamers will be added to the Closed Beta as the service ramps up.”

I mashed out my e-mail requesting access to the beta, and should I be approved I’ll post screens and a short walkthrough of the application.

In the meantime, it’s time for some good ol’ fashioned speculatin’.

While the beta app doesn’t support games, that has to be a forthcoming feature. With Steam Cloud, I imagine playing games like The Binding of Isaac or Dungeon Defenders on a PC, then going right to the phone and having the same save and profile available. Naturally the crossover will be limited to the processing power of mobile phones, but there’s tons of potential there.

Only problem I can see is that if the Steam Store opens up through the mobile app, Apple might put the kabosh on that for opening up another storefront in iOS. We’ll see how ambitious Valve’s mobile plans are in the coming months though.