Steam URL Opener

Despite the impressive series of updates and constant efforts that Valve puts into perfecting its digital storefront, certain features may remain de-prioritized in favor of improving functionality on particular platforms and fixing bugs that hinder the usage experience.

One example is Steam’s built-in browser that lacks many features already present in most of the industry giants such as Chrome, Edge and Firefox, which is why many prefer their operating system’s default web navigator instead. However, for those times when a switch needs to occur, a neat add-on known as Steam URL Opener comes into play to enhance the browsing experience.

Once installed, the add-on’s dedicated icon shows up within the browser’s address bar as soon as URLs belonging to Steam’s domain name are detected, thus preventing it from unnecessarily crowding the toolbar or overflow menu when not in use, in order to maintain an uncluttered interface and browser layout.

As such, the extension allows users who browse Steam using Firefox without being logged in or via the Private Window mode to selectively open the pages that require authentication for subscribing to Workshop collections or finalizing purchases. Otherwise, a full-fledged browser’s element inspection and tabbed layout still make for a more comfortable usage experience, especially for those who want to extract video games’ screenshots and logos for use as desktop backgrounds.

Finally, thanks to the open-source license attached to the add-on, not only is users’ privacy respected when browsing, but its code can be inspected and those with programming experience can contribute with features they feel would enhance its usability.

If you like to bookmark Steam webpages within Firefox to keep for archiving purposes in case a certain video game’s landing page is removed, but you still wish to open those links within Steam’s built-in browser for finalizing purchases or subscribing to Workshop collections, Steam URL Opener may be the right extension for you.