Valve will replace Big Picture mode with new Steam Deck UI

The future Steam Deck handheld could shape more than Valve’s material fortune. According to a Steam forum post by a Valve employee, the console UI will replace Steam’s Big Picture Mode, a front-end for your games compatible with larger screens, TVs and controllers. A sleek new user interface is likely to be welcomed by those who think the almost ten-year-old Big Picture Mode is on its way out. In fact, the feature hasn’t really been updated visually since its launch.

Valve surprised everyone last week by dropping the Steam Deck – a Switch-like hybrid console for PC gaming – out of the blue. Pre-orders were quickly opened for the device, which comes in three variants with different storage sizes priced at $ 399, $ 529, and $ 649. The Steam Deck includes a custom Linux-based SteamOS. Since it’s designed to be ported to TVs, it’s not hard to imagine the console UI becoming a natural successor to Big Picture Mode.

Shed light on the Steam Deck user interface to IGN, Valve designer Tucker Spofford said that the home screen will allow you to continue the game you’re playing, see what your friends are up to, see what’s new in the store and your library, and get recommendations.