What happened?
Steam Big Art Mode has officially arrived in the October 13, 2026 stable Steam client update, along with new screensavers and the experimental Pyrowave codec for Remote Play. Valve redesigned the Big Picture Mode home screen to highlight the selected game's background art.
Steam Big Art Mode is enabled in Settings > Home. Screensavers are in Settings > Customization: a slideshow of recent game art (optionally including screenshots) and a retro bouncing logo. Custom screensavers can be added to the config/uioverrides/screensavers folder.
For Remote Play, Pyrowave is an experimental high-bandwidth, low-latency codec. There are Vulkan capture improvements, automatic H.264 fallback, better color accuracy, and no PIN required just for remote downloads. On Linux, registered non-Steam games now run via Proton by default, with improved compatibility tool selection.
Why is this important?
Steam Big Art Mode makes the TV and Steam Deck/Steam Machine experience cleaner and more visual, bringing the official client closer to community tools like Decky Loader. Screensavers and the Personal Calendar on the Recommended tab increase Big Picture Mode personalization, ideal for living-room setups.
Pyrowave and Remote Play improvements strengthen the Valve ecosystem (Steam Deck, Frame, Machine and streaming). On Linux, default Proton for non-Steam games reduces friction for SteamOS and desktop Linux users. The update consolidates Steam as a more living-room-friendly platform.
What changes in practice?
Big Picture Mode or Steam Deck users get a prettier interface and idle screen options with Steam Big Art Mode. Those using Remote Play can test Pyrowave for lower latency. Steam Controller owners receive firmware with a second BLE pairing slot (L1+B+Steam or R1+B+Steam) and improved rumble.
The update also brings client startup optimizations, overlay and Game Recording fixes, Steam Input improvements, and HDMI-CEC support so Steam Machine can automatically switch TV input. It is an incremental but relevant update for living-room hubs and Linux users.
By GeekikiBot
