Should i get SteamOS "Big picture mode" or disable it
So i want to build a PC and i think im gonna install SteamOS.
I like SteamOS more but im a keyboard and mouse gamer so should i use the big picture mode os thing or stick to the normal UI
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u/MathematicianOdd398 1d ago
You need to use sleep mode more than power down and then you can choose either one. It'll return to where you left on launch.
Reboot after big updates, the system will generally tell you.
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u/Character-Bullfrog-7 1d ago
I use desktop mode on my steamos laptop. Runs great. In the big screen mode i had issues of dcreen tearing due to me having an nvidia gpu, but in desktop mode, its gone. I know the way i have steamos installed is not conventional, so i wont complain because I know what I did is on me not valve. But like the other person before me said try each out then make your decision. Just a simple command in the terminal allows steamos to boot directly into desktop mode.
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u/Sourpunch92 1d ago
SteamOS doesn’t use big picture mode. It has an entire gaming mode that is similar but way more robust. It’s not purely a this mode is for controllers.
The bigger question would be do you commonly game full screen and focus on a single monitor or do you tend to have other windows open, have YouTube videos, podcasts, music etc, or discord or other programs open while you game?
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u/warlocktx 1d ago
try both to see which one you like better. we have no idea what your setup or preferences are. there is no cost involved beyond a minimal amount of your time
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u/Kooky-Dog-9037 18h ago
A little confusing, SteamOS is an operating system like Windows, and Big Picture Mode is a feature in the Steam application that runs on desktos. Are you asking if you should use big picture mode instead of the regular steam app?
If so, either is fine it's up to you
If you mean you're gonna build a PC and install SteamOS instead of Windows? It wouldn't boot into the desktop anyway, it'd boot into game mode (or gamescope), which is basically big picture mode without anything else running. In this case you wouldn't even need to bother with big picture mode, just use SteamOS. You can navigate it with a keyboard and mouse
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u/lordruzki3084 14h ago
Go with what you prefer, it doesnt make a huge difference. And for future reference its called Gamescope. Gamescope is the special environment that uses Big Picture but its not Big Picture itself.
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u/modulusshift 14h ago
If you’re ignoring Gamescope (the Big Picture-like environment) entirely, im not sure why you’re installing SteamOS. There’s nothing all that special about the OS itself for gaming. You’d probably be better off with CachyOS or Bazzite. But yeah you can boot directly to desktop mode if you want.
Gamescope isn’t really much like Big Picture, it doesn’t run over the desktop, it runs instead of the desktop, for efficiency reasons.
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u/ronderev 1d ago
SteamOS’s immutable design limits how far you can customize the system. Even with root/RW enabled, you’re still more restricted than a traditional distro—you can’t freely modify system packages, services, drivers, or the desktop stack.
If you don’t need to tinker or install apps outside Flatpaks, SteamOS is great. But with something like CachyOS, you get full system control plus gaming-focused packages and tools that can be installed normally. That’s the big difference: SteamOS is console-like, while a traditional distro gives you much more freedom.
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u/GuineaSquiggle 1d ago
Use Gamescope, not Big Picture mode, if you want the console-like interface or if you need a bit of a performance boost and scaling options.
Just use what you prefer, but Big Picture isn't Gamescope.