Valve has confirmed reports that Steam Deck's OS will eventually replace the Big Picture mode it introduced a decade ago.
Valve officially announced the Steam Deck last week, a handheld PC that will allow users to play Steam games on the go. Demand for the handheld device has been incredibly high, and it seems it will change the way many people game in a variety of different ways. Not just the way you play games once they're running, but also the way you see them when picking what to play.
Valve has now confirmed that Steam's somewhat outdated Big Picture mode will soon be a thing of the past. The mode was first introduced all the way back in 2011 as a way to make Steam's UI appear more console-like. As its name suggests, the mode lends itself to players using bigger screens and also if you are using a controller as opposed to a keyboard and mouse.
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The date Steam's Big Picture mode will become part of ancient history has not yet been confirmed. However, a Valve employee replied to a comment on the Steam forum confirming the imminent change. “Yes, we are replacing Big Picture with the new UI from Deck. We don't have an ETA to share yet though,” the comment reads.
A long-overdue overhaul isn't the only reason extending the Steam Deck's new UI beyond the handheld console makes sense. The Deck will introduce an all-new operating system: SteamOS 3.0. Altering the UI so that it looks the same for all users across the board whenever the time comes just makes things easier for all invovled. Plus, judging by the forum replies to the reveal, not many people will be upset to see the back of Big Picture mode.
Since the Steam Deck was only announced last week, new details continue to emerge about the system all the time. Valve is hoping to launch the console before the end of the year. However, so many people wanted one when preorders went live that many have been told they wont be getting their Deck until mid-2022. On the bright side, the Steam Deck will have mod support, and Valve actively tried to stop scalpers from getting their hands on them all.
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