Valve's Steam "instant play" feature is likely to come to the popular gaming platform for PC gamers, which allows its users to play their games even before the downloads come to an end.
UKRAINE - 2021/07/24: In this photo illustration a Steam logo of a video game digital distribution service is seen on a smartphone and a pc screen.
The latest patent from Valve is hinting that Steam is likely borrowing a feature that was first seen in popular gaming consoles, such as the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One.
What's more, the successors of the two gaming consoles, the PS5, and the Xbox Series X, still have the handy feature.
It is worth noting that Valve recently unveiled its handheld gaming console, which will be bringing PC games, called the Steam Deck.
The gaming giant is reportedly working on the 4k-capable version upgrade of the recently launched console, which is likely to carry the name "Steam Deck 2.0."
Valve's Steam 'Instant Play' Feature
As per TechRadar, Valve recently registered a patent that takes a peek at what is possibly coming to the top gaming platform, Steam.
One of which is the feature that goes by the name "Instant Play."
As mentioned, the mechanic of the new function will allow users "to boot up their newly purchased game before it fully downloads from the client," the patent filing noted.
The patent document further explained that the new feature works due to the "track read operations," which enables the system to read the game data even before it concludes downloading the entire assets on a PC.
It is to note that as of now, Steam still does not flaunt any "Instant Play" feature or announced that it is coming to its platform. Instead, the new mechanic was only unveiled in the latest filing of its parent company, Valve, according to The Gamer.
The patent filing was first seen by the man behind SteamDB, Pavel Djundik. His website is home to other Steam leaks and developments from Valve.
It turned out that Valve filed the patent way back in March, but only got published on Sept. 21.
Read Also: Steam Now Lets You Enjoy Over 33.1 MP of Video Quality--8K Resolution Now Available for Streaming
Valve's Patent Filing and Steam Features
The patent also disclosed that the development would also change how Steam downloads a gaming title, which chunks it into pieces depending on the progress of the gamer.
On top of that, players could further save up more memory space via Steam by discarding previously finished levels. It becomes possible as the game is now divided into various phases.
However, the mentioned features are still mere patent filing. There is still a possibility that it would never see the light of day.
So, take this upgrade with a grain of salt to avoid any disappointments in the future.
Related Article: Steam Deck Can Last for 8 Hours With PC Streaming Capability, Although Performance Will Stay the Same While Docked
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Teejay Boris
