More than a year and a half after it was first announced (Valve Time, remember?), Steam's Big Picture mode has been released in beta. The primary purpose of it is to enable Steam users to easily navigate the program with a controller when it's plugged into a television, and in that regard it is extremely successful. The question, however, is whether this is really all that impactful.

Big Picture mode is certainly useful, provided you have a workable setup. After opting into the beta (head to Steam's Settings page to do so) and restarting Steam, a button in the upper-right corner appears. By clicking this or tapping the Guide button on an Xbox 360 controller, Big Picture mode launches and provides a controller-friendly way of navigating Steam's core features: the store, game library, and community sections. Also included is a surprisingly decent browser, giving you quick and easy access to a browser on your TV screen that can be accessed even while playing a game.