Steam Skins: Difference between revisions

From Valve Developer Community
Jump to navigation Jump to search
m (→‎External links: clean up, replaced: External Links → External links)
No edit summary
 
(10 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{No longer relevant}}{{toc-right}}
{{No longer relevant}}{{toc-right}}


Steam skins allowed Steam users to change the appearance of their clients. However, the [[Steam]] client has been revamped to use [https://bitbucket.org/chromiumembedded/cef Chromium Embedded Framework].
Over the years Steam has been slowly replacing aspects of the Steam Client from VGUI to a web-based framework called [https://bitbucket.org/chromiumembedded/cef Chromium Embedded Framework]


With this change, the Steam client '''does not support skins''', with various VGUI development tools for the client being removed.
On April 27th, 2023, with the Steam client now being rendered using CEF, Steam skins '''completely lost support''' and only work through community based patching methods.


==History==
==History==
Line 12: Line 12:
Removal of skin support for the main window frame and all additional windows in Steam Beta on [https://steamcommunity.com/groups/SteamClientBeta/eventcomments/3826413850812502632/ April 27th 2023]
Removal of skin support for the main window frame and all additional windows in Steam Beta on [https://steamcommunity.com/groups/SteamClientBeta/eventcomments/3826413850812502632/ April 27th 2023]


The above update was later pushed to all users since [https://steamcommunity.com/app/593110/eventcomments/5514142341086067567/ June 15, 2023], completely removing skin support for almost everything.  
The above update was later pushed to all users since [https://steamcommunity.com/app/593110/eventcomments/5514142341086067567/ June 15, 2023], completely removing skin support for all common windows.  


However for users who have previously selected a custom Steam skins prior to this update, or through "Skin" string on Steam's registry path ({{Path|HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Valve\Steam\|icon=reg}}), very few dialogs appear to continue using the old VGUI, with custom skins still appearing to work on it, such as the dialogs that appear when a Steam executable is not responding (can be also triggered by killing {{code|steamwebhelper.exe}}, a Steam CEF process), or when Steam is running in Windows compatibility mode. See image below.
== Can I Still Install themes? ==
Yes, Steam themes still exist! And the community is still thriving!


As the official skin support (for [[VGUI]]) has been removed, with the new CEF-based UI not providing any official way of changing skins, it was unofficially replaced by '''[https://github.com/PhantomGamers/SFP SFP]''' (formerly '''SteamFriendsPatcher''')
== How to install themes in {{CURRENTYEAR}}==


[[File:SteamJune2023-VGUI-Leftovers.png|thumb|left|Leftovers of Steam VGUI, still being used on some dialogs, with the unofficial Steam 2013 skin selected.]]
As the official skin support (for [[VGUI]]) has been removed, with the new CEF-based UI not providing any official way of changing skins, it was unofficially replaced by '''[https://steambrew.app Millennium for Steam]''' '''For Windows 10+'''<br>
Millennium is an open source patcher that allows skins/themes after April 27th 2023. [https://github.com/ShadowMonster99/millennium-steam-patcher view source]
 
[[File:SteamTheme2024.png|thumb|left|Millennium for Steam with a dark version of the Steam Client loaded [https://millennium.web.app/theme?id=F8h9ZhwOdoNygNcAfjIZ from here] ]]
{{clr}}
{{clr}}


==Setting Up==
==Setting Up==
The first thing you need to do is make sure steam is not running, then navigate to your steam directory {{path|C:\Program Files(x86)\Steam}} and copy the {{path|resource}} folder and paste it into your skin folder in {{path|...\Steam\skins\Your Skin Name}} folder. The resource folder contains all of the images and the assets needed to customize the Steam UI. Then go to your steam shortcut and go to it's properties and select the shortcut tab. In the target box type <code>-dev</code> after the directory. Now when you launch steam go to the settings and select the Interface tab, you can now select your skin.
Refer to this page [https://github.com/ShadowMonster99/millennium-steam-patcher/?tab=readme-ov-file#installation Installation Guide]
 
==Changing Colors==
While in any Steam window you if you set up the <code>-dev</code> launch option correctly you should be able to press {{key|F6}} and the "vgui layout debugger" should appear. While the debugger is open you cannot interact with anything in the Steam Client until you close the window. Using the debugger you can (like inspect element in web browsers) see what code and scripts are behind what you click and the colors and you can use it to identify which colors you can edit, and which file houses the code for text and images.
==Further Documentation==
More information for creating/editing skins can be found on the [[VGUI Editing]] page.
 
==External links==
[http://steamskins.org/ steamskins.org], a website with tons of skins for Steam


[https://steamcustomizer.com/ steamcustomizer.com], an easy to use skin generator
== Finding Themes ==
The main sources for up-to-date themes are found on this website
* https://steambrew.app/themes


[https://gamebanana.com/guis/games/6 Steam skins on Gamebanana]
== Discord Community ==
* https://steambrew.app/discord


[[Category:Steam UI| ]]
[[Category:Steam]]

Latest revision as of 07:55, 17 May 2025

Over the years Steam has been slowly replacing aspects of the Steam Client from VGUI to a web-based framework called Chromium Embedded Framework

On April 27th, 2023, with the Steam client now being rendered using CEF, Steam skins completely lost support and only work through community based patching methods.

History

Removal of skin support for the Friends List on July 24th 2018

Removal of skin support for the Library on October 30th 2019

Removal of skin support for the main window frame and all additional windows in Steam Beta on April 27th 2023

The above update was later pushed to all users since June 15, 2023, completely removing skin support for all common windows.

Can I Still Install themes?

Yes, Steam themes still exist! And the community is still thriving!

How to install themes in 2025

As the official skin support (for VGUI) has been removed, with the new CEF-based UI not providing any official way of changing skins, it was unofficially replaced by Millennium for Steam For Windows 10+
Millennium is an open source patcher that allows skins/themes after April 27th 2023. view source

Millennium for Steam with a dark version of the Steam Client loaded from here

Setting Up

Refer to this page Installation Guide

Finding Themes

The main sources for up-to-date themes are found on this website

Discord Community

Retrieved from "https://developer.valvesoftware.com/w/index.php?title=Steam_Skins&oldid=477570"