Valve’s Big Picture mode launching today

Valve is today launching Big Picture mode for Steam, an interface designed with large living room TVs and gamepads in mind.

Engaging the mode (which can be set to default if you wish) transforms the standard Steam UI by increasing the size of fonts, icons and menus. There’s also a TV-friendly web browser, and a new on-screen keyboard designed to be controllable with a thumb stick.

So, does Big Picture mode mean a Steam console is imminent? While we know that Valve is definitely interested in delving into the world of gaming hardware, it has yet to announce any firm plans. Valve’s Greg Coomer did say:

“We want to find out what people value about [Big Picture mode] and then learn. So we want to find out what people value about that. How they make use of it. Whether it’s even a good idea for the broadest set of customers or not. And then decide what to do next. So it could be that the thing that really makes sense is to build [our own hardware].”

[via SlashGear]

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