Valve confirmed through Steam’s community forums that the newly featured Steam Deck OS will be replacing Steam’s current Big Picture Mode. The Steam Deck, which was just announced last week, is Valve’s latest hardware – a portable PC that plays your entire Steam library. With it, they are shipping Steam Deck OS, a brand new operating system based on Linux. As for what Big Picture Mode is, Steam describes it as “a new mode designed for use with your TV and game controller, so you can enjoy your Steam games from the comfort of your couch”. The mode has been around for many years at this point, and a refresh or update has long been overdue. We loved what we saw with the Steam Deck running Steam Deck OS, so this announcement of Valve bringing that interface to PC as well is something we are excited about.
Big Picture Mode is easy to access in Steam, and only requires the press of a button. In the top right of the application, click the controller icon. This will then take you to Big Picture Mode, which is only usable with a controller. The controller can be plugged in with a cable wired, or be used wirelessly. This is up to the player, but it must be used to navigate throughout the mode. Even with a controller, the Big Picture Mode still feels a bit clunky and dated, so this new refresh of Steam Deck OS will be much appreciated for those who play with a controller on Steam.
As for the Steam Deck itself, the device will start shipping this December depending on what wave customers secured their order for. There are 3 models, each priced differently and only differentiated by storage. We cannot wait to get our hands on the device and look forward to playing our Steam library wherever we may be on the go.
