On February 1, Valve released an update for theSteamdesktop client that came with a much-anticipated refresh of Big Picture Mode. The refresh changed Big Picture Mode’s interface to be similar to that used by theSteam Deck, to provide a degree of consistency across Steam’s install base.
The move towards a Steam Deck-inspired look was made months afterthe Big Picture Mode updatewas tested in a Steam beta build back in October 2022. Originally released in 2012, Steam’s Big Picture Mode was originally intended for users that wanted to play their Steam games on a large display or a TV, most of which could be played with a controller. However, with the release of the Steam Deck last February, the user interface proved to be a popular choice with users. Citing that, Valve went ahead with importing the Steam Deck’s interface into Big Picture Mode for the desktop.
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Users that want to check out Steam’s updated Big Picture Mode can click on the Big Picture icon on the top right of the Steam desktop client, indicated by an icon that has two arrows pointing outward. From there, users will be met by a new startup animation, which features the outline of a controller before switching to the Steam logo. From there, users may access their recently played Steam games, see what their friends are playing, and check out which games received updates recently. However, some elements from the Steam Deck also made it into the Big Picture Mode refresh,such as battery life optionsthat may not be pertinent to desktop users. The February 1 update also saw bug fixes across the Steam desktop client, which should improve performance across the board.Click here to read the full Steam client update notes.
One trick that users may want to take advantage of Big Picture Mode for is the ability to easily move Steam games andincrease the total storage of a particular drive. Using an Xbox controller as an example, users can press the Xbox button, select Settings, and scroll down to Storage to see which games are on which drive with ease. Users can also change the default drive that Steam will install games onto, and sort games by either size or alphabetical order. With another button push, users can reorganize which games they want to move games onto, but transfer speeds will vary based on the drive’s capabilities and the game size.
With the Steam Deck itself being one ofthe top pieces of gaming hardware in 2022, it is easy to see why Steam chose to integrate some of its features into the Steam desktop client. Only time will tell if these trends will continue into 2023.
