Steam’s anime library gets better, thanks to Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll has partnered with Steam to distribute titles from its anime catalogue on the platform. Debuting alongside this weekend’s anime-themed sale, Crunchyroll’s streaming selection on Steam includes some of the genre’s biggest recent hits.

There are currently 20 different shows to choose from on Steam, including the latest season of the classic action series Berserk; action-comedy Gintama; hunky swimming comedy Free! and Re:Zero, Crunchyroll’s most popular anime of 2016. All but two of the shows have a single season available through Steam as of now, but a forum post on Crunchyroll suggests more could be coming in the future.

Steam members can purchase individual episodes or entire seasons at a discount. Unlike typical show downloads, Crunchyroll’s streaming shows are ready to watch as soon as they’re paid for.

Note that none of the anime on the service is available in its original Japanese, which may be a deciding factor for purists. Expanded language options is on the docket for Steam and Crunchyroll, according to the anime service.

The shows that Crunchyroll brings to Steam represent a shift away from the mainstream. Shows like Bleach, InuYasha and Naruto have been available on Steam for a while now; they’re much better known with broader Western audiences, due to their presence on Adult Swim’s dedicated anime programming block.