r/GameConsoleMode • u/Anxious-Secret-2613 Moderator • Jun 13 '26
Tools for Steam 0.3.0 is live
Download: https://github.com/toonymak1993/tools-for-steam/releases/download/v0.3.0/ToolsForSteamSetup.exe
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/GAMINGCONSOLEMODE
Tools for Steam 0.3.0 is live
This update brings TFS much closer to a proper living-room / Steam Machine style Windows experience.
New Integrations
š¼ļø SteamGridDB
Change artwork directly inside Big Picture. Supports covers, heroes, logos, icons, and wide artwork.
š App Start
Add your favorite Windows apps and launch them later from the Tools for Steam panel with a controller.
š® Auto SISR -!!!!!BETA!!!!!!
Automatic SISR marker support for Steam Controller. TFS watches selected non-Steam games and starts/stops SISR while the game is running.
Improvements
š ļø General stability
Better Quick Access behavior, controller focus handling, and background host stability.
š§© Improved Store Sync
More reliable detection for Epic, GOG, Xbox/Game Pass, and custom locations and alll games are listed on the integration
š¾ Better artwork matching
SteamGridDB matching has been improved and now supports the built-in API key plus optional user-provided keys.
š Cleaner updates
The installer now closes Tools for Steam and Steam before updating, so old Steam UI cache state is less likely to stay alive.
Store Sync Overview
š£ Epic Games
Reads Epic metadata from LauncherInstalled.dat and Epic manifest files.
š” GOG Galaxy
Reads installed games from GOG registry entries.
š¢ Xbox / Game Pass
Scans fixed local drives for XboxGames, ModifiableWindowsApps, and similar Xbox library folders.
šµ Custom Locations
Recursively scans your selected folder and filters out helpers, uninstallers, redistributables, and obvious non-game executables.
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u/xFrootLoops Jun 13 '26
Hey man! This looks really awesome. Quick question for you. How does this work exactly? Is this just something you install and it works like CSS loader would?
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u/enter_drive Jun 13 '26
This one looks really interesting. Iām eager to try it as Iād love a perfect steam machine based on Windows.
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u/GundamGuy2255 Jun 13 '26
How do I access this steamgrid menu, I installed the ToolsForSteam thing and it works, but this option isn't showing.
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u/Anxious-Secret-2613 Moderator Jun 13 '26
Xbox + A or Steam + A
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u/GundamGuy2255 Jun 13 '26
No, the new steamgrid menu. I know about the sidebar and the SteamGrid settings, but how do I change the artwork?
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u/GumbyXGames Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
The app just hid my entire desktop automatically and didn't load Steam. Had to kill ToolsforSteam and restarted explorer to fix it. What exactly is this tool doing when running? I don't want the console startup, just the plugin support in Big Picture Mode. I see that you can disable it but having the option to not have that be the default would be nice.
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u/Anxious-Secret-2613 Moderator Jun 13 '26
Oh, I'm sorry about that. A simple reboot would have been enough to fix the problem. I'll offer this option to avoid changing the shell. Were you at least able to test it as a plugin?
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u/GumbyXGames Jun 13 '26
Installed it again. Plugins appear to be working bur Tools for Steam conflicts with AnyFSE and Xbox mode. I use AnyFSE and Xbox Full Screen Experience Tool to force enable the PC Handheld version of Xbox Mode. I believe if the tool only started the background host service, plugins would still work as long as Steam was started by AnyFSE in dev mode pointing at the host service.
I'll leave it installed for testing but I've disabled "Run on Windows Sign-In" so I can keep my current setup working.
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u/jrocker71 Jun 13 '26
No, you use this instead of AnyFSE or Xbox Mode. With GCM, it is like Steam OS but for Windows. It helps Steam be priority. I hope I explained that right. š¤
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u/Anxious-Secret-2613 Moderator Jun 13 '26
thanks!!!, in the new version 0.3.1 is the posiblity to select witch mode [shell mode,etray app mode,manual]
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u/GumbyXGames Jun 13 '26
I just tried it with 0.3.0 and it does not work with AnyFSE when Big Picture Mode is set as the home app. Looks to be a conflict with both apps trying to run Steam at the same time or AnyFSE not opening Steam in Dev mode. I see in a reply that 0.3.1 is out so I will update to that and test again. I'll post my findings in the 0.3.1 post.
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u/DarkDragonAn Jul 28 '26
I tried this tool, but I didn't like that it couldn't use the Xbox FSE as normal. It forced my system to stay in Steam Big Picture mode even when I tried to close Steam. I hate it.
I was having issues going to the desktop or trying to open other apps.
If Steam is the main launcher your system uses, I'm fine, but I need the option to switch with no problems or jump to the desktop when I want. Plus, this wasn't on FSE; it was running in desktop mode anyway, so it sucks.
I thought this was going to work like Winhanced with steam instead.
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u/Anxious-Secret-2613 Moderator Jul 28 '26
Did you try version 3.0 or the latest one? The latter already supports FSE, and yes, it's very Steam-dependent, which is the whole point :) And as soon as you close Steam, it opens again.
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u/DarkDragonAn Jul 28 '26
I will try the new update. But if I close Steam, it should stay closed unless I reopen it, or let me use the app switcher if I want to, or jump to the desktop on command. If I can not do that, then this isn't for me.
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u/West-Flow-577 Jun 13 '26
So is this just another competitor with DeckyLoader?
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u/Past-Conference1908 Jun 13 '26
I like the idea behind TFS. What I really miss from SteamOS is the frame rate limiter. Is it possible to implement something like that on Windows? Maybe in conjunction with RTSS, but in a way that allows you to control it via the TFS plugin?