Utils Manager

Utils Manager API Documentation

Complete reference for all Steam Utils functionality in Steamworks FFI.

Overview

The SteamUtilsManager provides access to the ISteamUtils interface, offering system utilities, device detection, image loading, overlay notification positioning, and helper functions.

Key features include:

System Information: Battery level, IP country, server time, activity tracking
Device Detection: Steam Deck, Big Picture Mode, VR, Steam China
Overlay Notifications: Position and inset control
Image Loading: Load avatars and icons from Steam's cache
Gamepad Text Input: Virtual keyboards for controller input
Text Filtering: Built-in profanity filter for user-generated content

Quick Reference

Category	Functions	Description
System Information	9	Battery, country, time, activity
Device Detection	6	Steam Deck, Big Picture, VR, China
Overlay Notifications	3	Position and inset control
Image Loading	2	Load avatar/icon RGBA data
Gamepad Text Input	5	Virtual keyboard dialogs
Text Filtering	2	Profanity filtering
Utility Methods	2	IPC count, VR dashboard

Total: 29 Functions

System Information

Functions for retrieving system and environment information.

`getIPCountry()`

Gets the 2-letter country code for the user's IP address.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetIPCountry() - Get country code from IP

Returns: string - Two-letter country code (e.g., "US", "GB", "JP"), or empty string on failure

Example:

import SteamworksSDK from 'steamworks-ffi-node';

const steam = SteamworksSDK.getInstance();
steam.init({ appId: 480 });

const country = steam.utils.getIPCountry();
console.log(`User country: ${country}`); // e.g., "US", "GB", "JP"

// Load region-specific content
if (['JP', 'KR', 'CN', 'TW'].includes(country)) {
  loadAsianLocalization();
}

Notes:

Determined by Steam's GeoIP database based on external IP
Useful for region-specific content or analytics

`getCurrentBatteryPower()`

Gets the current battery power level of the device.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetCurrentBatteryPower() - Get battery percentage

Returns: number - Battery percentage (0-100), or 255 (BATTERY_POWER_AC) if on AC power

Example:

import { BATTERY_POWER_AC } from 'steamworks-ffi-node';

const battery = steam.utils.getCurrentBatteryPower();

if (battery === BATTERY_POWER_AC) {
  console.log('Device is connected to AC power');
} else {
  console.log(`Battery: ${battery}%`);
  if (battery < 20) {
    showLowBatteryWarning();
  }
}

Notes:

Returns 255 (BATTERY_POWER_AC) when device is plugged in
Useful for power-saving optimizations on portable devices

`getAppID()`

Gets the current App ID of the running application.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetAppID() - Get current app ID

Returns: number - The App ID, or 0 if not initialized

Example:

const appId = steam.utils.getAppID();
console.log(`Running App ID: ${appId}`);

`getSecondsSinceAppActive()`

Gets the number of seconds since the application became active.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetSecondsSinceAppActive() - Get app idle time

Returns: number - Seconds since the app was last active

Example:

const idleTime = steam.utils.getSecondsSinceAppActive();
if (idleTime > 300) {
  pauseExpensiveOperations();
}

`getSecondsSinceComputerActive()`

Gets the number of seconds since the computer was last active.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetSecondsSinceComputerActive() - Get computer idle time

Returns: number - Seconds since last user input

Example:

const computerIdle = steam.utils.getSecondsSinceComputerActive();
if (computerIdle > 600) {
  showIdleScreen();
  pauseGame();
}

Notes:

Reflects user input activity (mouse, keyboard)
Useful for detecting AFK state

`getServerRealTime()`

Gets the current time from Steam servers.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetServerRealTime() - Get Steam server time

Returns: number - Unix timestamp in seconds

Example:

const serverTime = steam.utils.getServerRealTime();
const date = new Date(serverTime * 1000);
console.log(`Steam server time: ${date.toISOString()}`);

Notes:

More reliable than local time for multiplayer synchronization
Returns Unix timestamp (seconds since Jan 1, 1970)

`getServerRealTimeAsDate()`

Gets the current Steam server time as a JavaScript Date object.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetServerRealTime() - Get Steam server time (wrapped)

Returns: Date - Date object representing Steam server time

Example:

const serverDate = steam.utils.getServerRealTimeAsDate();
console.log(`Server time: ${serverDate.toISOString()}`);
console.log(`Local time: ${new Date().toISOString()}`);

Notes:

Convenience wrapper around getServerRealTime()

`getSteamUILanguage()`

Gets the Steam client UI language.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetSteamUILanguage() - Get UI language

Returns: string - Language code (e.g., "english", "french", "japanese")

Example:

const uiLanguage = steam.utils.getSteamUILanguage();
console.log(`Steam UI language: ${uiLanguage}`);

Notes:

May differ from game language setting
Common codes: "english", "french", "german", "spanish", "japanese", "korean", "schinese", "tchinese"

`getConnectedUniverse()`

Gets the connected Steam universe.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetConnectedUniverse() - Get universe ID

Returns: number - Universe ID (1 = Public, 2 = Beta, 3 = Internal, 4 = Dev)

Example:

const universe = steam.utils.getConnectedUniverse();
const universeNames: { [key: number]: string } = {
  0: 'Invalid',
  1: 'Public',
  2: 'Beta',
  3: 'Internal',
  4: 'Dev'
};
console.log(`Connected to: ${universeNames[universe]}`);

Notes:

Most users will be connected to Public universe (1)

Device Detection

Functions for detecting device type and environment.

`isSteamRunningOnSteamDeck()`

Checks if running on a Steam Deck device.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_IsSteamRunningOnSteamDeck() - Check Steam Deck

Returns: boolean - true if running on Steam Deck

Example:

if (steam.utils.isSteamRunningOnSteamDeck()) {
  console.log('Running on Steam Deck!');
  setTargetFramerate(40);        // Better battery life
  enableTouchControls();
  optimizeForHandheld();
  setGraphicsPreset('deck');
}

Notes:

Use for Steam Deck-specific optimizations
Consider battery life, screen size, and input methods

`isSteamInBigPictureMode()`

Checks if Steam is running in Big Picture Mode.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_IsSteamInBigPictureMode() - Check Big Picture Mode

Returns: boolean - true if Big Picture Mode is active

Example:

if (steam.utils.isSteamInBigPictureMode()) {
  console.log('Big Picture Mode - using controller UI');
  useControllerUI();
  increaseFontSizes();
  enlargeButtons();
}

Notes:

Indicates controller-oriented Steam UI
Common on Steam Deck and living room setups

`isVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled()`

Checks if VR headset streaming is enabled.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_IsVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled() - Check VR streaming

Returns: boolean - true if VR streaming is enabled

Example:

if (steam.utils.isVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled()) {
  console.log('VR streaming is enabled');
}

`setVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled(enabled)`

Enables or disables VR headset streaming.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_SetVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled() - Set VR streaming

Parameters:

enabled: boolean - Whether to enable VR streaming

Returns: void

Example:

// Enable VR streaming
steam.utils.setVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled(true);

// Disable VR streaming
steam.utils.setVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled(false);

`isSteamChinaLauncher()`

Checks if running on Steam China launcher.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_IsSteamChinaLauncher() - Check Steam China

Returns: boolean - true if using Steam China

Example:

if (steam.utils.isSteamChinaLauncher()) {
  console.log('Running on Steam China');
  loadChinaCompliantContent();
}

`getDeviceEnvironment()`

Gets comprehensive device environment information (convenience method).

Steamworks SDK Functions:

Multiple ISteamUtils functions combined

Returns: DeviceEnvironment

Type:

interface DeviceEnvironment {
  isSteamDeck: boolean;
  isBigPictureMode: boolean;
  isVRStreamingEnabled: boolean;
  isSteamChina: boolean;
  isOnBattery: boolean;
  batteryPercent: number | null;  // null if on AC power
  ipCountry: string;
  steamUILanguage: string;
  connectedUniverse: number;
}

Example:

const env = steam.utils.getDeviceEnvironment();

console.log('Device Environment:');
console.log(`  Steam Deck:      ${env.isSteamDeck}`);
console.log(`  Big Picture:     ${env.isBigPictureMode}`);
console.log(`  VR Streaming:    ${env.isVRStreamingEnabled}`);
console.log(`  Steam China:     ${env.isSteamChina}`);
console.log(`  On Battery:      ${env.isOnBattery}`);
console.log(`  Battery Percent: ${env.batteryPercent !== null ? env.batteryPercent + '%' : 'N/A (AC)'}`);
console.log(`  IP Country:      ${env.ipCountry}`);
console.log(`  UI Language:     ${env.steamUILanguage}`);
console.log(`  Universe:        ${env.connectedUniverse}`);

Notes:

Convenience method that gathers all device info at once
Useful for initialization and logging

Overlay Notifications

Functions for controlling Steam overlay notification positioning.

`setOverlayNotificationPosition(position)`

Sets the position for Steam overlay notifications.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_SetOverlayNotificationPosition() - Set notification corner

Parameters:

position: ENotificationPosition - Corner of the screen for notifications

Enum Values:

enum ENotificationPosition {
  TopLeft = 0,
  TopRight = 1,
  BottomLeft = 2,
  BottomRight = 3
}

Returns: void

Example:

import { ENotificationPosition } from 'steamworks-ffi-node';

// Move notifications to bottom left to avoid HUD conflicts
steam.utils.setOverlayNotificationPosition(ENotificationPosition.BottomLeft);

// Or top right for different UI layout
steam.utils.setOverlayNotificationPosition(ENotificationPosition.TopRight);

Notes:

Controls where Steam notifications (achievements, screenshots, etc.) appear
Default is typically bottom-right

`setOverlayNotificationInset(horizontalInset, verticalInset)`

Sets an inset for overlay notifications from the corner.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_SetOverlayNotificationInset() - Set notification inset

Parameters:

horizontalInset: number - Pixels to inset horizontally from the corner
verticalInset: number - Pixels to inset vertically from the corner

Returns: void

Example:

// Inset notifications 100px from corner to avoid HUD elements
steam.utils.setOverlayNotificationInset(100, 50);

// Reset to corner
steam.utils.setOverlayNotificationInset(0, 0);

Notes:

Use to fine-tune notification position away from game UI elements

`overlayNeedsPresent()`

Checks if the overlay needs a present call.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_BOverlayNeedsPresent() - Check overlay present

Returns: boolean - true if overlay content needs to be presented

Example:

// In your render loop
if (steam.utils.overlayNeedsPresent()) {
  // Ensure Steam overlay is rendered
  forceOverlayRender();
}

Notes:

Returns true if there's an overlay (notification popup) that needs rendering
Useful for games with custom rendering loops

Image Loading

Functions for loading images from Steam's image cache.

`getImageSize(imageHandle)`

Gets the size of an image from Steam's image cache.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetImageSize() - Get image dimensions

Parameters:

imageHandle: number - Image handle from other Steam APIs (e.g., avatar handles)

Returns: ImageSize | null

Type:

interface ImageSize {
  width: number;
  height: number;
}

Example:

// Get avatar handle from friends API
const avatarHandle = steam.friends.getSmallFriendAvatar(steamId);

if (avatarHandle > 0) {
  const size = steam.utils.getImageSize(avatarHandle);
  if (size) {
    console.log(`Avatar size: ${size.width}x${size.height}`);
  }
}

Notes:

Image handles come from other Steam APIs (ISteamFriends, ISteamUserStats)
Returns null for invalid handles

`getImageRGBA(imageHandle)`

Gets the RGBA pixel data for an image from Steam's image cache.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetImageSize() - Get dimensions first
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetImageRGBA() - Load RGBA pixel data

Parameters:

imageHandle: number - Image handle from other Steam APIs

Returns: ImageRGBA | null

Type:

interface ImageRGBA {
  width: number;
  height: number;
  data: Buffer;  // Raw RGBA pixels (4 bytes per pixel)
}

Example:

// Load avatar image
const avatarHandle = steam.friends.getMediumFriendAvatar(steamId);
const image = steam.utils.getImageRGBA(avatarHandle);

if (image) {
  console.log(`Loaded ${image.width}x${image.height} image`);
  console.log(`Buffer size: ${image.data.length} bytes`);
  console.log(`Expected: ${image.width * image.height * 4} bytes`);
  
  // Each pixel is 4 bytes: R, G, B, A
  // Use with canvas, save to file, convert to base64, etc.
}

Notes:

Data is RGBA format (4 bytes per pixel)
Buffer size is width * height * 4 bytes
First calls getImageSize() internally to determine buffer size

Gamepad Text Input

Functions for showing virtual keyboards for gamepad/controller input.

`showGamepadTextInput(inputMode, lineMode, description, maxCharacters, existingText)`

Opens the full-screen gamepad text input dialog.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_ShowGamepadTextInput() - Show virtual keyboard

Parameters:

inputMode: EGamepadTextInputMode - Normal or password input mode
lineMode: EGamepadTextInputLineMode - Single or multiple lines
description: string - Description text shown above the input field
maxCharacters: number - Maximum number of characters allowed
existingText: string - Pre-filled text in the input field (optional)

Enum Values:

enum EGamepadTextInputMode {
  Normal = 0,    // Visible text
  Password = 1   // Hidden text
}

enum EGamepadTextInputLineMode {
  SingleLine = 0,
  MultipleLines = 1
}

Returns: boolean - true if the dialog was successfully opened

Example:

import { EGamepadTextInputMode, EGamepadTextInputLineMode } from 'steamworks-ffi-node';

// Show text input for player name
const opened = steam.utils.showGamepadTextInput(
  EGamepadTextInputMode.Normal,
  EGamepadTextInputLineMode.SingleLine,
  'Enter your player name',
  32,
  'Player1'  // Pre-filled text
);

if (opened) {
  // Wait for GamepadTextInputDismissed_t callback
  // Then retrieve text with getEnteredGamepadTextInput()
}

Notes:

Shows a Steam virtual keyboard for entering text using a gamepad
Retrieve result via callback or polling

`getEnteredGamepadTextLength()`

Gets the length of the text entered in the gamepad text input dialog.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetEnteredGamepadTextLength() - Get text length

Returns: number - Length of entered text (including null terminator)

Example:

const length = steam.utils.getEnteredGamepadTextLength();
console.log(`User entered ${length} characters`);

`getEnteredGamepadTextInput(maxLength)`

Gets the text entered in the gamepad text input dialog.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetEnteredGamepadTextInput() - Get entered text

Parameters:

maxLength: number - Maximum length of text to retrieve (default: 256)

Returns: string - The entered text, or empty string on failure

Example:

// After GamepadTextInputDismissed_t callback
const length = steam.utils.getEnteredGamepadTextLength();
if (length > 0) {
  const text = steam.utils.getEnteredGamepadTextInput(length);
  console.log(`User entered: ${text}`);
  setPlayerName(text);
}

`showFloatingGamepadTextInput(mode, textFieldX, textFieldY, textFieldWidth, textFieldHeight)`

Shows a floating gamepad text input panel.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_ShowFloatingGamepadTextInput() - Show floating keyboard

Parameters:

mode: EFloatingGamepadTextInputMode - Keyboard mode
textFieldX: number - X position of the text field in screen pixels
textFieldY: number - Y position of the text field in screen pixels
textFieldWidth: number - Width of the text field
textFieldHeight: number - Height of the text field

Enum Values:

enum EFloatingGamepadTextInputMode {
  SingleLine = 0,
  MultipleLines = 1,
  Email = 2,
  Numeric = 3
}

Returns: boolean - true if the floating keyboard was shown

Example:

import { EFloatingGamepadTextInputMode } from 'steamworks-ffi-node';

// Show floating keyboard near chat input field
steam.utils.showFloatingGamepadTextInput(
  EFloatingGamepadTextInputMode.SingleLine,
  100,  // x position
  500,  // y position
  400,  // width
  30    // height
);

Notes:

Unlike showGamepadTextInput(), this shows a smaller, floating keyboard
Useful for in-game chat without covering the whole screen

`dismissFloatingGamepadTextInput()`

Dismisses the floating gamepad text input panel.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_DismissFloatingGamepadTextInput() - Hide keyboard

Returns: boolean - true if the panel was dismissed

Example:

// Close floating keyboard when done
steam.utils.dismissFloatingGamepadTextInput();

Text Filtering

Functions for filtering user-generated content.

`initFilterText(unFilterOptions)`

Initializes the text filtering system.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_InitFilterText() - Initialize filter

Parameters:

unFilterOptions: number - Reserved, pass 0 (default)

Returns: boolean - true if initialization succeeded

Example:

// Initialize text filtering (once at startup)
const initialized = steam.utils.initFilterText();
if (initialized) {
  console.log('Text filtering ready');
}

Notes:

Must be called before using filterText()
Loads filtering dictionaries

`filterText(context, sourceSteamID, inputMessage, maxOutputLength)`

Filters user-generated text for profanity and slurs.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_FilterText() - Filter text content

Parameters:

context: ETextFilteringContext - Context where text will be used
sourceSteamID: string - Steam ID of the user who created the text
inputMessage: string - Text to filter
maxOutputLength: number - Maximum length of output buffer (default: 256)

Enum Values:

enum ETextFilteringContext {
  Unknown = 0,
  GameContent = 1,
  Chat = 2,
  Name = 3
}

Returns: string - Filtered text with profanity replaced by asterisks

Example:

import { ETextFilteringContext } from 'steamworks-ffi-node';

// Initialize first
steam.utils.initFilterText();

// Filter a chat message
const rawMessage = 'Hello everyone!';
const filteredMessage = steam.utils.filterText(
  ETextFilteringContext.Chat,
  senderSteamId,
  rawMessage,
  256
);

displayChatMessage(filteredMessage);

Notes:

Filtered characters are replaced with asterisks
Different contexts may have different filtering rules

Utility Methods

Additional utility functions.

`getIPCCallCount()`

Gets the number of IPC calls made since the last call to this function.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetIPCCallCount() - Get IPC call count

Returns: number - IPC call count since last query

Example:

// Performance monitoring
const initialCount = steam.utils.getIPCCallCount();

// ... make some API calls ...
steam.utils.getIPCountry();
steam.utils.getAppID();
steam.friends.getPersonaName();

const afterCount = steam.utils.getIPCCallCount();
console.log(`Made ${afterCount - initialCount} IPC calls`);

Notes:

Useful for debugging and performance monitoring
Count resets each time you call this function

`startVRDashboard()`

Launches the Steam VR dashboard.

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_StartVRDashboard() - Open VR dashboard

Returns: void

Example:

// Open SteamVR dashboard
steam.utils.startVRDashboard();

Notes:

Brings up the SteamVR dashboard overlay if SteamVR is running

`isOnBattery()`

Checks if the device is running on battery power (convenience method).

Steamworks SDK Functions:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetCurrentBatteryPower() - Get battery (wrapped)

Returns: boolean - true if running on battery

Example:

if (steam.utils.isOnBattery()) {
  enablePowerSavingMode();
  reduceGraphicsQuality();
}

Notes:

Convenience wrapper around getCurrentBatteryPower()

TypeScript Types

// Notification position
enum ENotificationPosition {
  TopLeft = 0,
  TopRight = 1,
  BottomLeft = 2,
  BottomRight = 3
}

// Gamepad text input modes
enum EGamepadTextInputMode {
  Normal = 0,
  Password = 1
}

enum EGamepadTextInputLineMode {
  SingleLine = 0,
  MultipleLines = 1
}

enum EFloatingGamepadTextInputMode {
  SingleLine = 0,
  MultipleLines = 1,
  Email = 2,
  Numeric = 3
}

// Text filtering context
enum ETextFilteringContext {
  Unknown = 0,
  GameContent = 1,
  Chat = 2,
  Name = 3
}

// Image types
interface ImageSize {
  width: number;
  height: number;
}

interface ImageRGBA {
  width: number;
  height: number;
  data: Buffer;
}

// Device environment
interface DeviceEnvironment {
  isSteamDeck: boolean;
  isBigPictureMode: boolean;
  isVRStreamingEnabled: boolean;
  isSteamChina: boolean;
  isOnBattery: boolean;
  batteryPercent: number | null;
  ipCountry: string;
  steamUILanguage: string;
  connectedUniverse: number;
}

// Constants
const BATTERY_POWER_AC = 255;  // Returned when on AC power

Complete Example

import SteamworksSDK, { 
  ENotificationPosition,
  BATTERY_POWER_AC 
} from 'steamworks-ffi-node';

async function utilsExample() {
  const steam = SteamworksSDK.getInstance();
  steam.init({ appId: 480 });

  // Get complete device environment
  const env = steam.utils.getDeviceEnvironment();
  
  console.log('=== Device Environment ===');
  console.log(`Country: ${env.ipCountry}`);
  console.log(`Language: ${env.steamUILanguage}`);
  console.log(`Steam Deck: ${env.isSteamDeck}`);
  console.log(`Big Picture: ${env.isBigPictureMode}`);
  console.log(`On Battery: ${env.isOnBattery}`);
  if (env.batteryPercent !== null) {
    console.log(`Battery: ${env.batteryPercent}%`);
  }

  // Configure for Steam Deck
  if (env.isSteamDeck) {
    console.log('\n=== Steam Deck Optimizations ===');
    setGraphicsQuality('deck');
    setTargetFramerate(40);
    enableTouchInput();
  }

  // Configure for Big Picture / TV
  if (env.isBigPictureMode) {
    console.log('\n=== Big Picture Mode ===');
    useControllerInterface();
    scaleFonts(1.5);
  }

  // Battery optimization
  if (env.isOnBattery && env.batteryPercent !== null && env.batteryPercent < 30) {
    console.log('\n=== Low Battery Mode ===');
    enablePowerSaving();
  }

  // Position notifications to avoid HUD
  steam.utils.setOverlayNotificationPosition(ENotificationPosition.TopRight);
  steam.utils.setOverlayNotificationInset(100, 100);
  console.log('\nNotifications positioned to top-right with 100px inset');

  // Load avatar image
  const mySteamId = steam.getStatus().steamId;
  const avatarHandle = steam.friends.getMediumFriendAvatar(mySteamId);
  if (avatarHandle > 0) {
    const image = steam.utils.getImageRGBA(avatarHandle);
    if (image) {
      console.log(`\nLoaded avatar: ${image.width}x${image.height} (${image.data.length} bytes)`);
    }
  }

  // Server time
  const serverDate = steam.utils.getServerRealTimeAsDate();
  console.log(`\nSteam server time: ${serverDate.toISOString()}`);

  // IPC monitoring
  const ipcCount = steam.utils.getIPCCallCount();
  console.log(`IPC calls made: ${ipcCount}`);

  steam.shutdown();
}

utilsExample();

Best Practices

Check Steam Deck First
- Use isSteamRunningOnSteamDeck() to enable handheld optimizations
- Consider 40Hz framerate for better battery life
- Enable touch/trackpad controls
Handle Battery Gracefully
- Check isOnBattery() to enable power-saving features
- Monitor battery percentage for low-power warnings
- Reduce effects and framerate when on battery
Position Notifications Carefully
- Use setOverlayNotificationPosition() to avoid UI conflicts
- Add insets with setOverlayNotificationInset() for fine-tuning
Cache Device Environment
- Call getDeviceEnvironment() once at startup
- Don't poll these functions every frame
Initialize Text Filtering Once
- Call initFilterText() at startup
- Reuse for all filtering operations

Error Handling

// Most functions return sensible defaults on error
const country = steam.utils.getIPCountry();  // Empty string on error
const battery = steam.utils.getCurrentBatteryPower();  // 255 (AC) on error
const isSteamDeck = steam.utils.isSteamRunningOnSteamDeck();  // false on error

// Image loading returns null on error
const image = steam.utils.getImageRGBA(avatarHandle);
if (image === null) {
  console.log('Failed to load image or invalid handle');
  useDefaultAvatar();
}

// Text filtering returns original text on error
const filtered = steam.utils.filterText(context, steamId, text, 256);
// If filtering fails, returns the original unfiltered text

Testing

Comprehensive test suite available:

# TypeScript test
npm run test:utils:ts

# JavaScript test  
npm run test:utils:js

Test Coverage (29 functions):

✅ System Information (IP country, battery, server time, activity)
✅ Device Detection (Steam Deck, Big Picture, VR, China)
✅ Overlay Notifications (position, inset)
✅ Image Loading (size, RGBA data)
✅ IPC Monitoring
✅ Text Filtering
✅ Convenience Methods (getDeviceEnvironment, isOnBattery)

Test Files:

tests/ts/test-utils.ts - TypeScript comprehensive test
tests/js/test-utils.js - JavaScript comprehensive test

Notes

Platform Support

✅ Windows
✅ macOS
✅ Linux
Steam Deck detection works on all platforms (returns false when not on Deck)

Battery Detection

Returns 255 (BATTERY_POWER_AC) on desktops without batteries
Accurate percentage on laptops, Steam Deck, and other portable devices

Image Loading Performance

Images are loaded from Steam's cache
First access may require downloading from network
Avatar handles of 0 or -1 indicate no avatar available

Steamworks SDK Reference

Interface: ISteamUtils (v010)

Official Documentation: Steamworks ISteamUtils Documentation

SDK Functions Used:

SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetIPCountry()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetCurrentBatteryPower()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetAppID()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetSecondsSinceAppActive()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetSecondsSinceComputerActive()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetServerRealTime()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetSteamUILanguage()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetConnectedUniverse()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_IsSteamRunningOnSteamDeck()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_IsSteamInBigPictureMode()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_IsVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_SetVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_IsSteamChinaLauncher()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_SetOverlayNotificationPosition()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_SetOverlayNotificationInset()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_BOverlayNeedsPresent()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetImageSize()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetImageRGBA()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_ShowGamepadTextInput()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetEnteredGamepadTextLength()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetEnteredGamepadTextInput()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_ShowFloatingGamepadTextInput()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_DismissFloatingGamepadTextInput()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_InitFilterText()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_FilterText()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_GetIPCCallCount()
SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_StartVRDashboard()

Utils Manager

Utils Manager API Documentation

Overview

Quick Reference

System Information

getIPCountry()

getCurrentBatteryPower()

getAppID()

getSecondsSinceAppActive()

getSecondsSinceComputerActive()

getServerRealTime()

getServerRealTimeAsDate()

getSteamUILanguage()

getConnectedUniverse()

Device Detection

isSteamRunningOnSteamDeck()

isSteamInBigPictureMode()

isVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled()

setVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled(enabled)

isSteamChinaLauncher()

getDeviceEnvironment()

Overlay Notifications

setOverlayNotificationPosition(position)

setOverlayNotificationInset(horizontalInset, verticalInset)

overlayNeedsPresent()

Image Loading

getImageSize(imageHandle)

getImageRGBA(imageHandle)

Gamepad Text Input

showGamepadTextInput(inputMode, lineMode, description, maxCharacters, existingText)

getEnteredGamepadTextLength()

getEnteredGamepadTextInput(maxLength)

showFloatingGamepadTextInput(mode, textFieldX, textFieldY, textFieldWidth, textFieldHeight)

dismissFloatingGamepadTextInput()

Text Filtering

initFilterText(unFilterOptions)

filterText(context, sourceSteamID, inputMessage, maxOutputLength)

Utility Methods

getIPCCallCount()

startVRDashboard()

isOnBattery()

TypeScript Types

Complete Example

Best Practices

Error Handling

Testing

Notes

Platform Support

Battery Detection

Image Loading Performance

Related Documentation

Steamworks SDK Reference

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`getIPCountry()`

`getCurrentBatteryPower()`

`getAppID()`

`getSecondsSinceAppActive()`

`getSecondsSinceComputerActive()`

`getServerRealTime()`

`getServerRealTimeAsDate()`

`getSteamUILanguage()`

`getConnectedUniverse()`

`isSteamRunningOnSteamDeck()`

`isSteamInBigPictureMode()`

`isVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled()`

`setVRHeadsetStreamingEnabled(enabled)`

`isSteamChinaLauncher()`

`getDeviceEnvironment()`

`setOverlayNotificationPosition(position)`

`setOverlayNotificationInset(horizontalInset, verticalInset)`

`overlayNeedsPresent()`

`getImageSize(imageHandle)`

`getImageRGBA(imageHandle)`

`showGamepadTextInput(inputMode, lineMode, description, maxCharacters, existingText)`

`getEnteredGamepadTextLength()`

`getEnteredGamepadTextInput(maxLength)`

`showFloatingGamepadTextInput(mode, textFieldX, textFieldY, textFieldWidth, textFieldHeight)`

`dismissFloatingGamepadTextInput()`

`initFilterText(unFilterOptions)`

`filterText(context, sourceSteamID, inputMessage, maxOutputLength)`

`getIPCCallCount()`

`startVRDashboard()`

`isOnBattery()`