Valve announces the official Steam companion app for Android

Well this certainly didn't take long. We have actually known for awhile Valve was considering (read developing) and app for Android and after the recent one we posted about the unofficial Steam app for Android from IBF Programs, Valve has released an official application now.

The application itself is pretty much like the unofficial one IBF Programs created but instead coming from Valve themselves. Ironically, even though the official app is out, the actual service is in closed beta format. To be considered for being a part of the beta, users have to log into their Steam accounts from within the app. So what can this official Steam application do? Here is the short but sweet description Valve decided to write for their market listing:

Steam: chat and participate in the Steam community, catch unbeatable Steam sales With the free Steam app for Android, you can participate in the Steam community wherever you go. Chat with your Steam friends, browse community groups and user profiles, read the latest gaming news and stay up to date on unbeatable Steam sales.

Like we mentioned, it is pretty much like the IBF Programs app although this uses a much better API then the scrapping the IBF Program does since to use the unofficial application you have to have your account public, not private. You can download this official Steam app off the Android Market for free and try to get into the beta. No word yet on when the full service will launch. Yes, you can buy games through the app.

Source: Kotaku

Android Market Link: Steam