Two kinds of localization
| Type | What it covers | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Store page | Descriptions, screenshots, trailers, capsule text | The language dropdown at the top right of any text editor in Steamworks |
| In-game | What the game itself supports, marked per language as Interface, Subtitles or Full Audio | Your store page's language settings, plus base languages on the Manage Depots page |
Start with the store page
Translating your store page is quick, and it gives you data: once your page is readable in a language, check your regional wishlists to see where interest is coming from. That tells you which in-game translations will pay for themselves.
Pick the language in the editor dropdown and paste the translation. The short description matters most because it shows up in many places.
Drag a localized screenshot onto the existing screenshot's thumbnail. A language suffix in the filename, like shot1_japanese.jpg, helps Steam match it. If your capsules contain text, upload localized versions too.
Localized game names are set in Steamworks Settings → General Application Settings. They override the store page name for that language, appear in the library, and are used for search suggestions. Localizing a name follows the same rules as renaming the game, so plan it before launch.
Community announcements and events can be localized too, which matters when you're announcing a new language.
In-game: one depot or many?
| Your situation | Approach |
|---|---|
| Mostly text; language files are small | Ship every language in one depot and read the player's Steam language with ISteamApps::GetCurrentGameLanguage. |
| Large language-specific data, like voiceover | One depot per language, so players only download their own. See the depots guide. |
Achievement names and descriptions can be localized too, in the Achievement Localization section of App Admin. The API then returns them in the player's game language.
Choosing languages
Regional wishlists, store traffic and community requests tell you more than any general ranking. The Steam Hardware & Software Survey shows language share across all of Steam.
Many players in Europe get by in English; many players in Asia don't. Languages far from English usually return more.
Don't limit a language to a region. Make every language available to every player; people's language preferences don't follow borders.
You don't need every language at launch. Add them later, announce each one, and consider a small sale if the update is big.
Working with translators
Game-specialist vendors vary a lot by language. Before you hire one:
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Which languages they're strongest in | Many vendors are excellent in some regions and average in others. |
| What they actually did for the games they list | "Worked on" might mean the manual or the marketing, not the game text. |
| Whether QA is separate | A second company, or fluent players, reviewing the translation catches a lot. |
| How hard your game is to translate | Text-heavy, lore-heavy or pun-heavy games need specialists. |