Virtual Reality is the next big thing for PC gaming, with the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift both hitting consumers hands (or faces) this year. But as with any new hardware platform, software is always going to be the real selling point.
Which is why Valve's confirmation over the weekend that it has created the SteamVR Theater mode for HTC Vive and other SteamVR compatible headsets is an exciting development for the platform.
The new play mode is currently in early beta, and Valve is promising to showcase it at GDC 2016.
Rather than limiting the compatible Steam library to just VR titles, the Desktop Theater mode will allow players to play games from their regular steam library, with the virtual reality aspect placing them in a virtual environment with a big screen that displays the traditional game.
This approach is how Netflix has approached virtual reality with the Netflix VR app, which, places you in a virtual room with a big screen in front of you, which lets you watch anything from the Netflix catalog.
Currently, there's no indication as to exactly how the SteamVR Desktop Theater mode will look, but we can expect a much closer look from the GDC show floor.
- Hands on with the HTC Vive Pre