Steam Big Picture Mode Beta Kicks Off In September

Valve has given us a better idea of when it plans to launch the beta for Steam's Big Picture Mode. Steam Big Picture Mode, as many of you already know, allows players to hook up their computers to their televisions and play the games in their Steam library on the big screen. In the latest episode of GameTrailers TV (which features a rather hairy-looking Gabe Newell) Valve's Greg Coomer announced that the beta will be coming early next month.

"In early September you'll be able to hop into a beta, click a button, and see Steam reformatted for your TV and usable with a PC game controller, or a mouse and keyboard if you want to play that way," Coomer said. He pointed out that there are some games that are better suited for a gamepad, so naturally those games will be the best choice for Steam Big Picture Mode. Of course, Valve isn't going to restrict which games you can play on a television, with Crooner saying that everything will still be there when you make the transition from the computer desk to the living room couch.

We've known about Steam Big Picture Mode since spring 2011, and now it seems that everything is finally coming together. Steam's Big Picture Mode actually inadvertently led to rumors of a Steam console. This reported "Steam box" turned out to be a box that Valve was using to test Big Picture Mode, with the company quashing any rumors that it was about to enter the console space rather quickly.

Big Picture Mode is just one of a few intriguing Steam features that will be rolling out in the coming months. There's also Steam Greenlight, a feature that lets players vote on which games become available on Steam, and Valve is also currently working on an overhaul of the Steam Community. It's an exciting time to be a Steam user, so stay tuned.