SteamVR Desktop Theater Mode will be detailed at GDC this week

Valve has announced it's developing a Desktop Theater mode for SteamVR, which will make the whole Steam library compatible with virtual reality. Announced at the weekend, SteamVR Desktop Theater Mode will do what the name implies: allow users to play non-VR compatible games in a virtual theater.

Pre-orders for the HTC Vive are open now, with the first shipments expected in April. Whether the Desktop Theater mode will go into beta before then is yet to be seen, but it definitely adds value to a device that a lot of people are still reluctant to fork out $799 for.

VR will no doubt have a huge presence at GDC this week, and we'll be on the floor reporting on what we see. In the meantime, here's a round-up of twelve Vive games releasing this year, and here's Wes's handy comparison of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.