// PC GAMER — GAMING
Steam's latest beta brings 'Big Art' to Big Picture Mode and Steam Deck, and customizable screensavers too
The update makes a number of less flashy changes too.
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If you play on a Steam Deck, or just rock with Big Picture Mode on your PC, the latest Steam client beta will be of big interest: It adds a new "Big Art Mode" that makes your home screen look a whole lot prettier (this is a subjective evaluation, yes, but I think it's prettier), a new screensaver feature, and a range of performance improvements and bug fixes.
The Big Art Mode is the big deal, so we'll start with that. Rather than the cluttered look of the standard interface, Big Art lowers the carousel of recently played games, and splashes, well, big art from the highlighted game across the backdrop.
So instead of this (not the video, the image below it):
It's not quite perfect: Some games, like The Merlies, don't really adapt to the system super well.
Overall though, it's a cleaner and sexier look, ideal for those of you who prefer to keep things neat and tidy. And all the content offered through the old UI remains available, you just have to scroll down to see it now.
The new screensaver option in Big Picture Mode is also entirely cosmetic but very cool. You can choose from a slideshow of art from your recently played games, with or without your own screenshots included, or a "retro inspired bouncing logo" that has the Steam logo slowly bouncing off the edges of the screen, just like your dad's old DVD player. With a little effort, you can also set up custom screensavers.
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Some of the less flashy stuff offered in this update is also very useful: Steam startup performance should be better following the update, the performance impact of game recording on some Direct3D 12 games on Windows has been reduced, and Linux support has been updated.