Valve has announced that it is running a beta test for an updated version of Big Picture Mode for the desktop version of Steam. According to a blog post published on Thursday, the proprietary UI is being updated to make the desktop interface look like the Steam Deck.
The updated version of Big Picture Mode comes with a host of new features, including a new home screen that lets you continue playing recent games and check for updates of any games in your library with a new universal search that nets results from your library, your friends list, and the store. It also brings updates to quick access, controller configuration, and system menus.
Valve said that the new UI still has some “rough edges” that need to be smoothed out, so it’s asking Steam users to help test it. To try out this new version of Big Picture Mode, simply opt into Steam’s beta client on your PC and edit the launch shortcut with the launch parameter “-gamepadui.”
The updated Big Picture Mode for desktop has been in talks since July 2021, when a Valve employee responded to a post on the Steam community forums saying that the original version would be given a total makeover to make it resemble the UI from the Steam Deck, buttons at the bottom right corner of the screen and all. With the testing version of the new Big Picture Mode for desktop now out, this version of the Steam client will look more modern than ever.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.