Valve has released an experimental mode for its Steam gaming client that integrates the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. It allows players to view Big Picture mode, Valve’s living room-friendly Steam interface, as if it was floating in front of them.
“It looks exactly like Big Picture mode displayed on a curved screen a few feet away,” one forum member reports. “No other 3D effects or VRness. No floor or sense of place. If you’ve seen Big Picture mode on your monitor, you know exactly what it is.”
If you’re interested in trying out SteamVR, you’ll need the beta version of the Steam client and an Oculus Rift development kit. Valve programmer Joe Ludwig said players can explore the new mode by relaunching Steam with “-vr” on the command line.
After pressing the Big Picture button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, the new ‘Big Picture + VR’ mode will be activated. Many players experienced technical issues after its initial release, but Ludwig has since issued a patch that has reportedly rectified the problem.
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Valve is expected to show off a standard interface for virtual reality hardware at is Steam Dev Days event in Seattle later this week.
➤ Steam Community (Via VG24/7)
Image Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
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