Steam now has a ridiculous logo screensaver, and I'm almost sure it doesn't reach the corners completely
It's bad, get rid of it.
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The Steam client got a big new update today, with a big picture mode getting more attention. I guess the most exciting feature is that the previously beta-only screensaver feature for Big Picture Mode is now live for the public. In its default mode, the screensaver displays art from recently played games, as well as any new screenshots you've taken. But you can also add your own custom screensaver, which is nice.
Valve also has a retro-inspired logo screensaver that you can select from the new dropdown menu in Settings/Customize. As the name suggests, the Steam logo rotates around a black screen, changing color every time it hits an edge. Valve hasn't made this screensaver the default screensaver, and thankfully it didn't: it's a diabolical act of cruelty. It will lead you to despair.
The screen saver is the old screen saver that was built into DVD players in the late 90's and early 00's. If you're too young to remember it, you've probably heard of it: a DVD Video logo spins around a black screen, changing color every time it hits the edge. This unassuming but actually quite psychologically damaging display has been circulating the internet several times over the past decade, so much so that if you Google it, the Google logo will jump around the search results page. It even has a Wikipedia page.
why Anyone who was exposed to it in the pre-social media era seems to have experienced the same strong desire for the DVD Video logo to completely reach the corner of the TV screen. And how often does this happen? Very rarely.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, this ten-hour video from DVD Video Screensaver is a must-watch:
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Passionate DVD logo screen saver 4K 60 frames per second - 10 hours without loops - YouTube
People say smartphone screens are ruining our lives, impairing our attention, killing literacy, etc., and I mostly agree. But at least they've saved us from the hypnotic cruelty of the damn DVD logo screensaver. Screw that thing
After all, Valve now has its own version, and after watching it - mostly against my will - for about half an hour while eating my lunch, I'm pretty sure this abomination is never going to settle for a moment of hitting the perfect corner.
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My suggestion? Don't think about it at all, don't even turn it on as a joke. You may never reappear.
However, this Steam client update is pretty big compared to usual. For example, launch performance has been improved to an unspecified extent. A new experimental video codec, Pyrowave, has been added to Remote Play that supposedly "allows high-bandwidth, low-latency video playback." Linux users also get a bunch of tweaks and fixes. But much of the focus is on minor improvements to Big Picture Mode, which is good news for Steam Machine and Deck users.
The update notes are here in their voluminous glory. And I repeat: do not go near the passionate logo screensaver.
Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years of experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared in GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, Sydney Morning Herald and more. Special interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games, and FPS. He thinks Metallica and Lou Reed's Lulu is an all-time classic that will one day be reevaluated by critics.
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