Portal 2 Playstation 3 - Cross-platform Matchmaking, Chat, Achievements and Friends

Valve finally released the details on the Steam experience designed for the PlayStation 3, which is set to debut next week with the release of Portal 2. Steam PS3 overlay button

The first title to support Steam on a console, Portal 2 offers cross-platform matchmaking, gameplay, friends, chat, and achievements, all powered by Steam. Steam on the PS3 also saves co-op game progress and single player saved games to the Steam Cloud, enabling players to pick up where they left off on any PlayStation 3.

The Steam overlay for PS3 provides access to both PSN and Steam friends, displaying their in-game or online status and providing a quick pathway to text chats, player profiles, friend requests, and game invites. Steam Achievements are earned in lockstep with PSN Trophies and are also accessible within the Steam overlay.

Steam on the PS3 provides access to all of these features once the player has linked their PlayStation Network account with a Steam account, which is done right within the game. A Steam user can login to an existing account, and anyone new to Steam can create an account with the click of a button.

In the spirit of Steam Play, linked players of the PS3 version of Portal 2 can also access and play their copy of Portal 2 on any PC or Mac by redeeming an in-box access code on their computer. The Steam client verifies the linked customer and then lists Portal 2 among their library of Steam games for PC and Mac.

Accessing Steam on your PS3

Once you have started Portal 2 on your PlayStation 3, you can access the Steam Overlay at any time simply by pressing the SELECT button on your PS3 controller.

What are some features the Steam Overlay on PlayStation 3 provides?

Among the features available in the Steam Overlay on PlayStation 3:

Play cross-platform from your PlayStation 3 with Steam friends on Windows or Mac.
Access your Steam friends list, enabling you to chat with, add, or remove Steam friends.
Access redeemed downloadable content registered in Windows or Mac, and vice-versa
View your Steam friends’ community profiles.
View your earned Steam Achievements, as well as global achievement stats, for Portal 2.
See the latest news and announcements for Portal 2.

Only PlayStation 3 split-screen co-op can be played using a single copy of the game. When you purchase a new copy of Portal 2 for PlayStation 3, you will receive an in-box code which provides your linked Steam account with access to your copy of Portal 2 on your computer. The game is still owned by only a single Steam account--another copy will be required to play online co-op with a friend.