Steam Big Picture enters beta today
Valve launching free TV service this afternoon for Windows machines with controller compatibility; includes Web browser, new "Daisywheel" typing interface; Steam crosses 50 million users.
Valve's Big Picture mode for its Steam service will enter beta this afternoon, allowing users to browse, purchase, and play all Steam games through TV sets they already own. The trial is free for Steam users on Windows, with a Mac version arriving at a later date.
To access Big Picture, players will need to connect their dedicated PC or Mac, laptop, or desktop computer to a high-definition television with an HDMI or VGA cable. Users will need Windows Vista or later to run Big Picture, as well as 1GB of RAM. For the full system specification requirements, check out the official page.
Steam users can play their games with either a keyboard and mouse or controller. Additionally, Big Picture adds a first-person Web browser, which Valve calls the first of its kind.
Further, Steam's Big Picture features a "Daisywheel" for typing messages and surfing the Internet with a controller. Valve says the traditional QWERTY setup works best for keyboards, with the new interface more finely tuned for use with a controller.
Lastly, Valve revealed that Steam has now crossed 50 million users, an increase of 10 million since January.
Content you might like…
Users who looked at this article also looked at these content items.
Hot Stories
Newsmakers
-
EA and Disney team up for Star Wars games
As part of multiyear exclusive arrangement, DICE and Visceral will work on new "core" Star Wars games. Full Story
- Posted May 6, 2013 9:28 pm GMT
-
Assassin's Creed creator claims he was fired
[UPDATE] Patrice Desilets says Ubisoft terminated his position today and did not allow him to collect personal belongings. Full Story
- Posted May 7, 2013 6:44 pm GMT
Featured Stories
-
Study: Violent games can desensitize players
New research finds frequent exposure to violent games can have numbing effect on teenagers, though no cause-and-effect relationship proven. Full Story
- Posted May 10, 2013 2:17 pm GMT
-
World of Warcraft subs fall to 8.3 million
Subscriber base for aging MMO dips 1.3 million in three months; Activision Blizzard posts $456 million profit on $1.32 billion in revenue for Q1. Full Story
- Posted May 8, 2013 9:18 pm GMT
-
EA extends FIFA licensing agreement to 2022
"FIFA continues to be very strong," says EA, which has been making FIFA games since 1993. Full Story
- Posted May 8, 2013 10:19 am GMT
-
No multiplayer in new Wolfenstein
MachineGames' upcoming shooter will be single-player-only experience. Full Story
- Posted May 8, 2013 2:49 pm GMT
-
Ubisoft: PlayStation 4 like a 'perfect jewel'
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag producer says Sony has created a compelling piece of technology and it is up to designers to make most of it. Full Story
- Posted May 9, 2013 5:37 pm GMT






