I tried playing around with Big Picture and for what it's supposed do it's actually pretty good, in my opinion. The keyboard is nicely done... I tried using it and while it was still too slow for me, I can see it being decent enough once you get used to it. The browser worked well enough as well.
The main problem I see with it right now, is that it's still just a small portion of what one might do with a PC and you have to rely on usual controls on everything that is not Steam. Setting up a PC just so you can run Steam games on your TV seems unreasonable.
Even if you do it that way, before you get started with Big Picture, you still need to power on the PC, log in, start Steam and then start Big Picture, so you still need to have KB/Mouse controls present before you can go on using it. It kinda loses it's "pick up and play" usability that way.
Last edited by MinderMast on Sun, 16th Sep 2012 19:35; edited 1 time in total
The main problem I see with it right now, is that it's still just a small portion of what one might do with a PC and you have to rely on usual controls on everything that is not Steam. Setting up a PC just so you can run Steam games on your TV seems unreasonable.
Even if you do it that way, before you get started with Big Picture, you still need to power on the PC, log in, start Steam and then start Big Picture, so you still need to have KB/Mouse controls present before you can go on using it. It kinda loses it's "pick up and play" usability that way.
They are not creating an Explorer replacement. It's a nice way to use your PC for gaming on the couch.
It's also good for people with a good amount of money who're willing to spend that money on a PC. Buy a decent gaming rig, a couple of 2tb drives, a SSD for the OS, and a wireless kb+m and 360 controller. Kit it out as a media server, install your Steam games on it, tuck it in the corner and leave it on 24/7. Gaming and media server as one.
It's my plan once I get rid of my stupid credit card bill.
Pixieking
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They are not creating an Explorer replacement. It's a nice way to use your PC for gaming on the couch.
My point is, before you get to that nice couch gaming phase, you still need to get it running, and you can't do it with just a gamepad
Unless you have an "always-on" PC hooked up with Steam running in Big Picture all the time, you will still need to alternate between KB/Mouse and gamepad often enough. In that case, the need for a Big Picture mode is diminished, since you might as well use your KB or mouse to just launch the game the usual way and then use your gamepad.
I actually play many games from the couch on my TV (it's shameful, I know ), but I am yet to use the Big Picture mode... But that's probably because at the moment I am playing games that are better suited for KB/Mouse controls
That's not true. You can set Steam run automatically, and it launches automatically when you press the middle X button on the 360 pad. So you just have to turn on PC, wait for boot (if you have SSD, it's very fast) and just click on button. Hardly a problem.
This would still require a PC dedicated to exclusively running games on Steam though. With no log in passwords on Windows (if that is what you go with) and no other software running on startup to ensure that as soon as Steam launches it would remain in-focus, otherwise the button on the gamepad won't work.
It becomes even less practical if you want to play some nicer looking games since it would also have to be a decent and a pricier machine, and probably not at all that compact.
In addition, I imagine most people who will add PCs to their TVs, might want to get a bit more use of it other than simply Steam games: movies, pictures, music... whatever
I am not saying it's bad, I was quite interested in the feature when they announced it (and still am), but it isn't quite there yet in terms of usability... not for me at least. Although most limitations seem to come from the hardware side of things, rather than Big Picture itself.
It doesn't have to be in focus, if you have Steam in the tray, with the pad button click, it launches.
Doesn't seem to work for me that way
Edit: Ah, it doesn't work if it's windowed and not in focus, if it's minimised/in tray it does work. Okay.. didn't know that... certainly makes things a bit more convenient
yea, i installed the beta to try this and now i can't downgrade back to stable
i've tried everything short of reinstalling the entire OS
tried deleting and reinstalling steam already
must be bound to my account or someshit
OK this background whooo whoo should stop when playing a game trailer :/
And the browser is pretty shitty right now The back button on the 360 pad is not properly implemented and if you don't start big picture with a click on the link, it doesn't start up with the (X) button of the 360 pad
I played around with the Big Picture some more, and it seems that the global use of that middle Xbox button to invoke Steam is quite inconsistent. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
I tinkered with my Xpadder profiles and now it seems I have found a way to use Big Picture reliably enough without having any conflicts while still retaining "Media PC" functionality for the controller. Might actually start using it now
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It's a nice way to use your PC for gaming on the couch. 
), but I am yet to use the Big Picture mode... But that's probably because at the moment I am playing games that are better suited for KB/Mouse controls 
