7 Types of Content You Can Find on Steam, Beyond Games

Have you ever come across a program on Steam that you didn’t expect to see ? Well, that’s because Steam is a marketplace for more than just games. Over the years, a number of other categories of programs have appeared on Steam, including everything from productivity apps to gaming hardware.

Here are 7 more non-game content you can find on Steam!

1. Productivity software

Steam actually offers a bunch of productivity software that can be helpful if you spend too much time gaming. Many of the productivity programs you’ll find on Steam use gamification to eliminate distractions and ensure you get your work done in a quiet space.

If you’re looking for something simpler, you might want to try On Track. It’s a simple productivity tracker that turns your PC into a train window with a customizable day-night cycle and lo-fi soundtracks to help you focus. There’s also a built-in to-do list to help you keep track of tasks. You can set a timer, adjust the ambient sounds to your liking, and start checking things off your list.

2. PC customization software

There are a ton of PC customization programs available on Steam. Programs like Wallpaper Engine, NB Desktop, and Decent Icons 2 let you completely change the look of your computer with tons of customization options like live wallpapers, animated icons, and more. You can even turn your computer into a game if you want.

3. Creative and editing tools

Steam is also full of different creative and editing tools that you may have heard of. You can find anything from video and photo editors, sprite makers, illustration programs, and even your own RPG creator.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You get even more tools for VR, 3D animation, eye tracking, pose referencing, video frame interpolation, and more.

4. Game development tools

As you might expect, Steam not only provides gamers with a library of thousands of new games, but it also provides game developers with hundreds if not thousands of game development tools. In addition to the above mentioned creation and editing tools that can help you create assets for your game, there are also tools that can help you build the entire game.

You can find tools like RPG Maker MV, which the developers claim is powerful enough for developers but flexible enough for kids to create their dream RPG. It also has export options for macOS, Android, and iOS. There are also MZ and XP variants of RPG Maker.

5. Overlays and add-ons for games

Steam also has a huge selection of game overlays and add-ons. If you're a racing sim enthusiast, you should check out DashPanel. This tool lets you create fully customizable HUDs as well as desktop and VR overlays for a number of racing sims, including Assetto Corsa, iRacing, Forza, Project Cars, and even Farming Simulator; and more.

6. Performance evaluation tools

There's a good reason why you should benchmark your hardware performance regularly, and Steam makes it pretty easy to do. There are a number of performance benchmarking tools available on Steam including 3D Mark, Nero Score, EzBench Benchmark, and more.

However, the store also offers game-specific benchmarks. These are downloadable regardless of whether you own the game or not (in most cases) and can be a great indicator of how well a particular game will perform on your PC. This saves you from paying the full price of the game only to find out that your hardware can’t run it properly. Some notable examples of this include Black Myth: Wukong Benchmark Tool and Resident Evil 6 Benchmark Tool.

7. Steam Deck

It probably won't surprise you to learn that Valve has decided to sell its handheld console on its own gaming platform. You can go to Steam and order Steam Decks, just like you would any game.

This isn’t the first time Valve has done this, either. The gaming giant has also sold other hardware like the Steam Controller and Steam Link. You can still find store listings for them, even though the hardware has long since been discontinued.