Steam Big Picture

[† Emotional Outlet]

I don't know if you guys know about this already (I'm pretty slow when it comes to news), but Steam is doing a thing.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFrL6-OhN94

Couple things of note:

• The way you type with a controller
  
• It will include a web browser
  
• You can use either a controller or your keyboard if you want
  

Beta is available if you guys want to try it out. Article from Joystiq says,

This isn't necessarily a first step toward the legendary "Steam Box" console.

People have their hopes.

[idl12]

"the whole thing was made with controllers in mind" someone on a pc forum somewhere is very angry.

[† Emotional Outlet]

While they gently caress their keyboards and mouses whispering, "Don't worry, the PC master race will always come out on top."

[RikuoAmero]

I'm not entirely sure why they're using that Controller Type thingy. Not all games on Steam use a controller. Plus, since this is a PC program, you do have a keyboard and mouse hooked up to your machine anyway, even if you just use it as a media centre (unless it has an infra-red receiver and you use a remote control to select your video files...)

[† Mute point]

It could be an app for the internet TV things. Since most game controllers are USB based, and those kinds of TVs always have usb ports it would be easy to set up.

[lolrawr]

Yeah I really like the idea behind this.

I'd like to think one of these days I'll just get a dedicated gaming PC and hook it up to the big screen (instead of having my current one be productivity/gaming). This would help out a lot to making that dream come true lol.

There's just one flaw though. If you're playing a game that has that Ubisoft Uplay thing, this won't work. It will take you out of the UI and require you to use a keyboard/mouse. I guess it's ok if you use a keyboard, but not for people who would strictly use a gamepad.

[RikuoAmero]

It could be an app for the internet TV things. Since most game controllers are USB based, and those kinds of TVs always have usb ports it would be easy to set up.

It's not an app for internet TV things. It's a beta version of the Steam client that has these new features. You still need a PC to run it.

[† Emotional Outlet]

I'd like to think one of these days I'll just get a dedicated gaming PC and hook it up to the big screen (instead of having my current one be productivity/gaming). This would help out a lot to making that dream come true lol.

I've read comments from people with similar plans, but for more nefarious reasons.

They intend to have it be a secret that Steam is being run from a PC and have some friends over (presumably heathens who think consoles are better for gaming than PCs) to play some games on their pretend Steam console. Then, when they're amazed by the quality and everything (because these friends live under rocks and have never heard of Steam in their lives), the bomb will be dropped that they were, in fact, not gaming on a console, but a PC. Tears will be wept and all will acknowledge the superiority that is the gaming PC. Mountains will move, whole nations will rejoice, and oceans will swell with pride.

But yeah, according to Java it's more or less a more television and controller friendly GUI. I haven't played with it because I like to sit in the corner with my computer.

[idl12]

It seems nice but I won't be using this, I'm 100% ..99.5% a pc gamer though, one of the main reasons is, apart from the obvious benefits, it allows me to game in my little corner of existence without having to be intrusive to anyone who wants to look at television or whatever....also privacy is important for a.....salacious person like me..nothing is more scary than having the contents of my pc being displayed on a large, publicly viewed screen lol..