Steam is a popular gaming platform with millions of users. It can be difficult to keep track of how much RAM each user has, especially if they’re not using the same games. To reduce Steam’s RAM usage, you can try these tips:
- Start by opening the Steam client and searching for “memory usage.” This will show you how much RAM each user has used in the past month.
- Change your game’s settings to use less RAM by editing your game’s properties. This will tell you how much memory each game requires and how to save that memory for future use.
- Use a virtual machine or emulator to play older games on a lower resolution or with less graphics quality than what your computer is capable of running. This will help reduce Steam’s RAM usage by allowing your computer to run older games at their original resolution and quality while still providing high-quality graphics for newer games.
Want a more lightweight Steam experience than doesn’t use 400 MB of RAM just to display your game library? We’ll show you how to cut that RAM usage down to a cool 60 MB and get a more minimal Steam client.
What Is Steam Client WebHelper?
Steam, like many other modern applications, has a built-in web browser. This built-in web browser is named “Steam Client WebHelper” (steamwebhelper.exe).
When you launch Steam, it normally launches multiple WebHelper processes in the background—we counted seven. These are used to display the Steam Store, the Community, and even your game Library.
But what if you could get rid of Steam’s WebHelper processes? Well, you can—with a hidden command-line option.
Launching Steam Without Steam WebHelper
First, if you have Steam open, you’ll need to close it by clicking Steam > Exit.
To launch Steam in this way, you’ll need to know the location of the steam.exe file in your PC. On a 64-bit Windows PC, it’s normally installed at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe by default. If you installed Steam to a different location, use that location in the command below instead.
To launch Steam without the web browser components, you’ll need to launch Steam with the -no-browser command-line option. It’s also helpful to launch Steam in Small Mode, which you can normally access by clicking View > Small Mode in Steam.
To launch Steam with these options, press Windows+R to open the Run dialog. Copy-paste the following text into the Run dialog (assuming you have Steam installed in the default location) and press “Enter” or click “OK”:
Steam will launch in Small Mode without any web browser components. If you look at your Task Manager, you’ll likely see it’s using 60 MB of RAM—or less.
You can click View > Large Mode to view the normal Steam interface, but you’ll just see a message informing you that the Steam browser is disabled.
(You can click View > Small Mode to use Steam in a more minimal view even when the browser is enabled—however, Steam’s WebHelper processes will still be running in the background, and you won’t see these RAM savings.)
What Works Without a Browser, and What Doesn’t
As of October 2020, Steam’s Small Mode functions very well with the browser disabled—for the most part. You can view your game library, install games, and launch them. You can access all Steam’s normal settings. You can even use Steam in offline mode.
There’s one big feature missing: You can’t actually uninstall a game with the browser disabled. (However, you can install games.)
You also can’t view your achievements, access other community features, or browse the store and buy games with the browser disabled. You can still access the Steam store and community pages by signing into Steam’s website in a normal web browser, however.
Getting Steam’s Browser Back
To get the browser back, close Steam by clicking Steam > Exit and then launch Steam from a normal desktop shortcut. Steam will launch with the browser as long as you don’t launch it with -no-browser .
Creating a Shortcut that Launches Steam Without the Browser
If you prefer this mode, you can create a shortcut that launches Steam without the browser.
For example, if you have Steam pinned to your taskbar, right-click the Steam icon on your taskbar, right-click “Steam Client Bootstrapper,” and select “Properties.”
In the Target box, add a space followed by the following:
Assuming you have Steam installed in its default folder on your system, it should look like the command you used in the Run box:
Now, when you launch Steam from your taskbar, you’ll get a more lightweight, minimal experience. If you need to uninstall a game or use other Steam browser features, you can exit Steam (Steam > Quit) and then launch Steam with another shortcut—like the Steam shortcut in your Start menu.
To undo the change, just open the Steam shortcut properties window and remove the text you added to the Target box. It should just look like the following:
Sure, a few hundred megabytes of RAM isn’t a big deal on a modern gaming PC. But, if you’re looking for a way to free up some RAM while gaming, this is an easy one.
