Valve has announced that the Steam ‘Big Picture’ mode for televisions will go to beta testing sometime next month.
Speaking to GTTV [as cited by MCVUK] Valve designer, Greg Coomer said that in early September “you’ll be able to hop into a beta, click a button, and see Steam reformatted for your TV and usable with a PC game controller, or a mouse and keyboard if you wanna play that way.”
“Everything will be there, so you don’t have to give up your favorite stuff once you walk from the den to the living room.”
Valve head, Gabe Newell says the company hopes hardware vendors will see ‘Big Picture’ mode as a “useful tool” to deliver hardware into living rooms.
‘Big Picture’ mode is designed to drive Steam’s gaming service through the living-room television, which are releasing with internet connectivity nowadays.
The new mode will apparently not require any additional development from you, and will ensure your game works well with a controller. Users will also be able to opt for keyboard and mouse functionality and switch between the two controlling configurations.
