Gabe Newell announced on G4TV that the "Big Picture Mode" that was announced in 2011 will finally make its way into beta next month.
Players will be able to connect their personal computers to their Hi-Def Televisions to play their steam collection either though a game pad or keyboard/mouse combo. It's a natural progression as gamers have grown accustomed to playing games in front of their televisions.
Still not sure what the big picture mode offers? Read on with an official statement from Valve themselves.
Heading to the living room—or anywhere there’s a big screen—is Steam’s soon-to-be-released big-picture mode, offering simple, easy-to-read navigation designed specifically for TV. With full controller support, big-picture mode will let gamers kick back and enjoy their favorite games on the biggest screen in the house.
Steam’s big-picture mode doesn’t require any additional development from you. Just ensure your game works well with a controller, and we’ll take care of the rest. And don’t worry, keyboard and mouse aren’t going anywhere—users will be able to switch between input devices at any time.
Not long now until we can get our hands on a beta version. Are you Looking forward to starting up Steam with an optimised version for your television?