How to Check a Game’s Version and Build in Steam

To check an installed game’s build in Steam, open Library, right-click the game, select Properties > Updates, and read Build ID. For the developer’s version number, launch the game and check its title screen, Settings, or information screen. A Steam Build ID is not necessarily the same as a version number such as 1.2.3.

The Steam desktop steps apply to installed Steam games on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The File Explorer steps use Windows 11 menus, and the Run shortcut is specific to Windows.

Read the installed Build ID in Steam

Open Steam and select Library, then right-click the installed game. Choose Properties and open Updates. Read the number beside Build ID and record it with the game’s title.

Keep the number labeled as a Build ID rather than treating it as the game’s patch version. Record the selected branch alongside it using the next step so you can compare your installation with the matching published branch.

Identify the selected game branch

From the game’s Properties, select Game Versions & Betas. Inspect the selected branch and its developer-supplied description. A branch name can identify a release when the developer labels it that way.

Valve says switching branches starts downloading replacement content. Leave the selection unchanged when you only want to inspect it. A branch name alone does not establish the installed Build ID, so record both.

The available branches and their descriptions depend on the publisher. If the description does not identify a version, check the game’s own version display for the developer’s number. Use Properties > Updates for the installed Steam Build ID.

Find the version number inside the game

Launch the game and inspect its title screen for a version number. If no version appears there, open Settings or inspect the game’s information screen. The location depends on the publisher and whether the game exposes version information.

For current PC releases of Cyberpunk 2077, including Steam and Steam Deck, start the game and read the version at the top-right of the main menu. Keep this displayed version separate from the Steam Build ID when recording your installation details.

Compare your build with a published branch

Open the game’s SteamDB page in a desktop or mobile browser, select Depots, and locate Branches. Read Build ID for the branch that matches your selection in Steam. The default release is usually the branch named public.

Compare that number with your installed Build ID from Properties > Updates. SteamDB is independent of Valve and cannot inspect the installation on your computer. Its branch information tells you about published builds, not which build you have installed.

The branches you can inspect depend on the metadata SteamDB can expose. If the relevant branch’s metadata is inaccessible, use Steam’s installed Build ID to identify your local build. Another branch’s number does not establish what is installed on your computer.

Read the local installation manifest

Open the Steam library folder containing the game. In its steamapps folder, open appmanifest_<AppID>.acf with a text editor, substituting the game’s numeric App ID. Read Steam’s recorded install state for the game without editing the file.

This method applies to SteamPipe installations on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Library locations vary, so use the library containing that particular game. If you do not know the App ID or cannot locate the manifest, use Properties > Updates instead.

Valve describes the manifest as the app’s current installation-state file. You are reading Steam’s recorded installation, which does not verify every executable or modified file in the game’s folder.

Inspect app status and metadata in the Steam console

The Steam console provides separate queries for local installation state and published application metadata. On Windows, keep Steam running, press Windows + R, and enter the following address in the Run dialog.

steam://open/console

Press Enter to open the console. Valve also supports opening it by launching Steam with the -console startup option. To inspect local installation state, enter the following command in the Steam console, replacing <AppID> with the game’s numeric App ID.

app_status <AppID>

Inspect the reported current state of the app on this client. For the installed Build ID, use Properties > Updates, which is the simpler option when you only need that number.

You can also query the information Steam’s servers provide about the game from the console. Enter the following command, again replacing <AppID> with the game’s numeric App ID.

app_info_print <AppID>

Inspect the reported Steamworks configuration for the game, such as its depots and launch options. Accessible metadata depends on the application and your account. This query reports application metadata, so use the game’s properties or local manifest to establish what is installed.

Check a Windows executable’s version metadata

On Windows 11, locate the actual game executable in File Explorer, right-click its .exe file, and select Properties > Details. Read File version and, when populated, Product version. Inspect the game executable rather than a separate launcher.

These developer-supplied values may be absent or differ from the patch version displayed inside the game. They do not produce a Steam Build ID. If the metadata does not identify the version you need, check the in-game display or Steam’s game properties.

On Windows with PowerShell and .NET, you can also read executable version metadata through PowerShell. Open PowerShell and run the following command, replacing the example path with the game executable’s full path.

[System.Diagnostics.FileVersionInfo]::GetVersionInfo('C:\full\path\game.exe') | Format-List FileVersion,ProductVersion,FileMajorPart,FileMinorPart,FileBuildPart,FilePrivatePart

Read the returned file and product version values and individual version components. If the executable has no version information, this method cannot establish the game version. Check the in-game display for the developer’s version or Steam’s properties for the installed Build ID.

Query builds with publisher access

If you administer the game as an authorized Steamworks publisher, you can call ISteamApps/GetAppBuilds/v1/ with the publisher key and appid to retrieve build history. Call ISteamApps/GetAppBetas/v1/ to retrieve branches. Valve requires these requests to originate from a secure server.

You need a publisher API key owning the specified App ID; owning the game through a consumer account does not grant this access. These queries retrieve publisher build and branch information without inspecting a player’s local installation. For your installed copy, use the Steam properties method.

Get the Steam desktop client if needed

If you need to install the desktop client, open Valve’s official Steam product page and select Install Steam. Choose the appropriate supported operating-system download offered by Valve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need to reinstall Steam to check a game’s version?

You do not need to install or reinstall Steam simply to inspect an existing game’s version. If the game exposes its version number, you can read it inside the game.

Does the PowerShell version query require administrator access?

Administrator elevation is not inherently required for the FileVersionInfo query. You need Windows with PowerShell and .NET, plus a game executable containing version resources.

Can you see timestamps alongside a published Build ID?

On SteamDB’s Dota 2 depots page, you can read Time Built and Time Updated alongside branch information. The metadata you can inspect for other games depends on what SteamDB can expose.

Can you inspect a local installation manifest on Steam Deck?

You can read the SteamPipe installation manifest through files accessible in Steam Deck Desktop Mode. Open the manifest in a text editor and inspect it without editing it.