Steam recently got a big overhaul to its library view, bringing with it large icons for games, new sorting methods, and new tabs, to better keep track of updates and events for a given title. This UI took the place of the old, forcing users to adapt to the new look. However, not everyone liked this style, it reportedly took up more RAM in the background, and after so many years, some found it hard to get used to the change, so Steam has fixed that by bringing back the "small library" mode, the original look, in a beta update. If you opt-in to beta client updates, you can grab the new-old version, which has an option to change your sidebar of games back into a list, (>view>small mode) with tiny icons on the side. Those icons can also be turned off, returning the client back to how it looked, prior to the revamp.

Source

• Brought back Small Mode library view and updated to work with Steam Collections and the new Steam Library
  
• Added a library setting to hide game icons in the Steam Library’s left column game list
  
• Fixed download progress bar and status wrapping to a second line on game pages on smaller windows
  
• Compressed game page links bar to one line on smaller Steam windows
  
• Post-game summary, game review reminder and other dynamic content on game pages will now fill only one column on wider Steam windows
  
• Fixed occasional crashes caused when uninstalling games
  
• Fixed Steam client crash after exiting some AutoCloud-enabled games
  
• Fixed a case where game icons would sometimes not properly be downloaded and used for the game's desktop shortcut when installing a game. For for previously installed games affected by the problem, validating game contents and recreating the shortcuts should fix the issue.

 

[Kioku]

Thank God... This new view is awful

 

[x65943]

I'm glad they listened

 

[Deleted-236924]

I didn't really care, but it's always nice to have options for those who preferred the old style.

 

[Sakitoshi]

The new view is great, I like it. But I guess that what I said before holds true anyway, don't fix what isn't broken.

 

[supergamer368]

I'm really glad that Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back is the highlighted title, and that Bubsy Two-Fur is also owned by the person who took the screenshot.

 

[gnmmarechal]

Pretty good, I don't dislike the new one but having the option to keep it as is is nice!

 

[Chary]

I'm really glad that Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back is the highlighted title, and that Bubsy Two-Fur is also owned by the person who took the screenshot.

If I needed to take a screenshot of my Steam library, there was no chance I was gonna select some normie casual game like Dark Souls or Rocket League. I was going for the gold. Everyone has to know the glory of Bubsy.

 

[LanHikariDS]

Those icons can also be turned off, returning the client back to how it looked, prior to the revamp.

Those icons aren't a new thing. They were present before the revamp, but you had to manually enable them.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

If I needed to take a screenshot of my Steam library, there was no chance I was gonna select some normie casual game like Dark Souls or Rocket League. I was going for the gold. Everyone has to know the glory of Bubsy.

Still haven't seen any bubsy streams. They have released new games (Believe it or not)

 

[Xzi]

New layout is pretty cool, I always used list view anyway so they mostly just filled in a bunch of space that was barely used before. Custom categories were kept in place and everything.

 

[Kwyjor]

I was really hoping the new library would make category management less stupid, but no. It seems the only way to rename an existing category is with a third-party tool.

The new library also made it much more difficult to see which games in your library were shared from someone else. Almost as if they were stealthily trying to discourage people from using that feature.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

If I needed to take a screenshot of my Steam library, there was no chance I was gonna select some normie casual game like Dark Souls or Rocket League. I was going for the gold. Everyone has to know the glory of Bubsy.

Bubsy is honestly an underrated mascot. The original SNES game was pretty fun, too bad the Mega Drive one was impossible to control though, and then there was the mess known as Bubsy 3D which pretty much ruined the mascot and made everyone hate it. If it hadn't been for that game, the mascot might still be popular today.

Also, @Bubsy Bobcat would approve.

 

[the_randomizer]

I'm not seeing the options to revert to the older library, but at least I can make the new one less hideous by making the icons smaller.

Edit: Never mind, I'm not in beta lol. I'll wait.

 

[Viri]

Wow, a company listening to their users? I wish Google would take a hint like that, when it comes to Youtube.

 

[the_randomizer]

Wow, a company listening to their users? I wish Google would take a hint like that, when it comes to Youtube.

That new layout sucks big time

 

[Silent_Gunner]

Eh, as a HTPC user, I only use the desktop view for when I absolutely need to use it or it's just more convenient. Otherwise, I wish they made it so Big Picture Mode was more customizable with themes, custom menu layouts, custom sound effects, etc..

 

[Wuigi]

The small view was awful, they used 75% of the space to show what friends played and recently started games instead of showing the game list I actually wanted to see.

 

[MrHuu]

Great, so now we have to opt in for the BETA to keep using old features..

Without the beta, just open 'steam://open/minigameslist' to keep using small mode.

 

[Mythical]

Is there the old grid mode with it or no?