Steam Desktop Theater Mode: Nifty Tech that Lets You Play 2D in 3D

The good guys at Valve have given Virtual-Reality fans more reasons to enjoy SteamVR: The Steam Desktop Theater Mode, a mode wherein players can get to experience any Steam game in 3D.

While other games that have been specifically designed for VR are the ones players can play with VR sets, conventional games are apparently left behind. Engadget reports that with the new SDTM, all those conventional steam games in any person's library can be played in a virtual environment.

The details regarding how conventional games will look in VR isn't clear yet, but the idea is like putting those regular games on a wide, simulated screen. Think of playing those games on a virtual home theater of sorts.

The SDTM is currently in beta testing and will be featured in the upcoming Game Developers Conference 2016, reports Road to VR. Valve says that SDTM will support the Oculus Rift and the upcoming HTC Vive.

The Vive will provide users with the perks of the seated mode, in which players will be immersed in their game, sitting down with keyboard and mouse or controller in hand. Although the Vive and SteamVR experience are designed for “room-scale” play, the seated mode works just as well.

During the GDC 2016, Valve will also showcase a new Portal-themed VR experiment called “The Lab,” reports Gamezone. The Lab is a “compilation” of Valve's VR experiments from which SDTM could have been birthed from. It shows the power of VR and the Vive.

Valve's move to let conventional games be played on a VR setting is timely, as there are only a few VR titles to date. Engadget notes that it is likely that many developers won't be retrofitting existing games. As such, Valve's decision to develop SDTM will give hopeful buyers more reasons to purchase those pricey VR headsets.