Valve Adds Big Art Mode and Screensaver to Steam Big Picture
The October 14, 2026 Steam client update also brings the Pyrowave Remote Play codec out of beta and improves startup performance.
Valve released a Steam client update on October 14, 2026 that adds a Big Art mode and a screensaver to Big Picture Mode, according to automaton-media.com. Big Art mode displays the key art of recently played games large at the top of the home screen, while the screensaver appears by default after 5 minutes of inactivity.
The screensaver can show recent screenshots, game key art, or custom screensavers. A sample screensaver featuring a bouncing Steam logo, reminiscent of the classic DVD logo, is included. Big Art mode settings are found in the Home tab, and screensaver settings in the Customize tab.
The update also moves the personal calendar normally shown on store pages to the recommended tab of the home screen. Pyrowave, previously in beta for Remote Play, is now added to the client. Created by Hans-Kristian Arntzen, Pyrowave is a video codec that uses 5 to 10 times the bandwidth of other codecs to enable low-latency Remote Play, and a wired LAN connection on the host PC is recommended.
The update includes many other changes, including improved client startup performance and numerous Linux and Steam Input improvements. Big Picture Mode is a controller-friendly fullscreen UI used as the default screen on the Steam Deck handheld and Steam Machine living-room gaming PC.
Quick answers
What is Big Art mode in Steam?
It displays the key art of recently played games large at the top of the Big Picture home screen.
What is the Pyrowave codec?
Pyrowave is a video codec created by Hans-Kristian Arntzen that uses 5 to 10 times the bandwidth of other codecs for low-latency Remote Play, now added to the Steam client.
Where are the screensaver settings in Steam?
They are found in the Customize tab, while Big Art mode settings are in the Home tab.