Steam Frame: Valve names price and opens waiting list for new VR headset
Valve’s wireless VR headset goes on pre-sale. Those who want it must join a waiting list and plan for at least 1049 Euros.
The uncertainty among VR fans is over. The price and availability of the Steam Frame are now known.
(Image: Valve Corporation)
After a long wait, the starting signal for Valve’s wireless VR headset Steam Frame has finally been given. Interested parties can now join a waiting list via Steam until September 17, 2026, 7 p.m. The cheapest version with 256 GB of storage costs 1049 Euros, the variant with 1 TB of storage is available for 1279 Euros. Otherwise, there are no differences. Both models include a standalone version of “Half-Life: Alyx”.
Allocation by random principle
Valve is using a new procedure for its sales model to slow down scalpers. Similar to the Steam Machine, the devices are not sold directly. Instead, interested parties must join a waiting list for the desired model. Double entries are not possible. After the deadline on September 17, Valve will select potential buyers at random. Within one day, those selected should receive an email notification and have 72 hours to complete the purchase. If the deadline expires, the spot will be re-drawn. Valve wants to prevent bots from blocking the front spots on the waiting lists.
It is not known how many models will be available during the pre-sale period and when stock will be replenished. Valve has been struggling with the memory shortage caused by the construction of ever-newer AI data centers since the announcement of the new hardware generation. The company already struggled with price and availability for the Steam Machine. The launch of the Steam Frame was also repeatedly delayed, and Valve obviously could not maintain the originally discussed price point of under 800 US dollars.
In order for Valve to offer at least one Steam Frame model around the 1000 US dollar mark, it is apparently saving on the package contents. Both storage variants lack charging cables and power adapters. Valve includes a second headband, controller straps, and a nose piece to block light in the optional ergonomics kit. Price: Just under 69 Euros. Valve charges 39 Euros for the USB-C charger with a fixed power plug. Prescription lenses from Zenni and an optional camera that enables color passthrough and thus mixed reality are listed as officially “Steam Frame Compatible”. However, only the camera is available for 157 Euros on the respective manufacturer’s website at the time of writing.
Wireless streaming with a focus on gaming
The Steam Frame marks Valve’s return to the VR hardware business after more than six years and clearly focuses on gaming. The headset works with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, 16 GB of RAM, and runs on a VR variant of SteamOS. This allows games to be played both standalone on the headset and streamed wirelessly from a PC. A special 6 GHz wireless adapter promises low latency without complex network configuration.
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In addition to VR games, wireless streaming will also bring conventional games from the Steam library to the VR headset. The headset displays these on a large virtual screen in physical space. Valve shows which games run smoothly on the Steam Frame via the “Verified for Steam Frame” program. Two eye-tracking cameras detect where users are looking and optimize the streaming quality in the focus area, which Valve calls “Foveated Streaming”. The LC displays have a resolution of 2160 × 2160 pixels per eye and support refresh rates up to 144 Hertz, which is in the range of the current specifications of the Meta Quest 3.
(joe)
