New Steamwork APIs make it easier for players to switch game versions and beta branches

Steam has introduced new Steamworks APIs to “solve some common challenges to switching game versions on Steam.”

Whereas previously, Steam itself suggests “accessing these alternative build branches has been fairly obscure,” the new API makes it easier for the players to identify and load different game versions.

In a new blog post, Valve said “these new tools, developers can now offer players a choice in game to join a beta branch for testing or to switch back to an older version of the game.”

The company said the changes make it easier for players to clearly choose which version of the game they want, particularly when it comes to beta testing or “testing out the latest updates.”

In the new article, Valve also gives a case study, showing how it’s now easier for players to participate in beta tests, and then another example, which shows how players can help developers test new, less stable updates ahead of full deployment.