All articles tagged with #steam frame
A roundup of recent hardware news: Valve’s Lepton opens Android-to-Linux game porting for the Steam Frame, Asus releases the Ascent QN10 mini PC with Snapdragon X2 Elite starting at $1,349 in the US, and Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist goes on sale with a swivel display and 2.8K OLED for $2,000+ (Core Ultra 5 325), alongside previews of the Minimal Phone 2 and Galaxy Tab S12 leaks.
Valve’s SteamOS 0.3.0 for the Steam Frame is the headset’s first update since launch, delivering substantially faster charging when off or sleeping (before ~8–27 W, after update ~19–21 W start and up to 42 W under load) with a recommended 45 W+ USB-C charger. The release also improves controller tracking with active haptics, boosts stability under heavy load, fixes garbled microphone audio, and makes per‑app motion smoothing functional (and tweaks Half‑Life: Alyx). For developers, Vulkan/Mesa fixes and looser playable criteria (any resolution, not 1440p) are included. The update is available now, though US/European purchase emails began going out Sept. 18.
Valve’s Steam Frame waitlist emails have sparked a surge of overpriced eBay listings and fake reservation confirmations, as scalpers and scammers try to profit from disappointed buyers—buyers are urged to beware and verify any seller claims.
Valve releases SteamOS 0.3.0 for Steam Frame, delivering faster charging when the unit is off or sleeping, improved controller tracking with active haptics, and greater stability under load, plus a fixed microphone audio bug. The update also tweaks motion smoothing (including a Force Always-On option), adds a VR setting to dim the game when the dashboard is visible, stops Play Area bounds from auto-showing, and includes Vulkan/Mesa performance improvements; Valve also published a Getting Started page for Steam Hardware.
Valve says Steam Frame uses Half-Life: Alyx instead of a brand-new VR title to ensure compatibility with the Steam catalog and provide a strong launch experience; adapting Alyx also helped fix headset drivers and other issues, while Steam Frame is offered in 256GB ($1,059) and 1TB ($1,299) SKUs with a lottery-style pre-order.
Valve briefly considered a brand-new VR game for the Steam Frame, but prioritized getting the Steam catalog running well and making Half-Life: Alyx work natively on the headset. The Alyx work provided valuable performance and driver fixes that benefit Frame-wide compatibility, aided by foveated rendering, eye tracking, and 16GB of RAM; Valve’s Steam Frame Verified program now helps other developers optimize their titles for standalone use.
Valve revealed Steam Frame pricing ($1,059 for the 256GB model, $1,299 for 1TB), that Half-Life: Alyx is included as a standalone, and opened reservations via a randomized queue with a 72-hour window; the wireless SteamOS headset supports Linux/Windows via Proton and onboard tracking (no base stations), lists ~70 Steam Frame Verified titles, and offers optional accessories like the Arcturus Vision color passthrough camera ($149) and an Ergonomic Kit ($59).
Valve ported Half-Life: Alyx to ARM64 to run natively on the Steam Frame’s Snapdragon Gen 3 chip, and the game is included for free with the $1,059 headset. The port uses foveated rendering and eye tracking to deliver a full PC VR experience on a standalone device, with mods and fan-created levels supported, though it trades some graphical fidelity for portability.
Valve has launched a 72-hour reservation window to sign up for its wireless Steam Frame VR headset, with a lottery-style first-wave notice starting Sept. 18. The headset streams PC games to VR or standard display, ships with two controllers and Half-Life: Alyx, and requires a power supply (or a 45W+ USB-C charger). Available in 256GB ($1,059) and 1TB ($1,299) configurations, plus a $59 accessories kit; signups end Sept. 17 at 1:00 PM ET. If selected, customers will be notified in the following days.
Valve opened pre-orders for the Steam Frame, revealing two storage options (256GB for $1,059 and 1TB for $1,299) and a randomized reservation system to curb resellers; sign-ups run through Sept 17 at 10 AM PT, with results emailed that day and first shipments anticipated soon after; Valve also announced first-party accessories and prices, and noted Steam Frame is a standalone VR headset with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 capable of native Steam play and PC streaming via a Wi‑Fi 6E dongle.
Valve's Steam Frame is a premium VR headset that offers comfortable design and wireless PC streaming via foveated streaming, but its £1,089 (1TB) or £889 (256GB) price tags highlight that high-end VR remains expensive and niche.
Valve'sSteam Frame is a two-model VR/PC headset (256GB for $1,059 and 1TB for $1,299) that can run games locally or stream from a PC and includes Half-Life: Alyx; sign-ups for a lottery-based waitlist run through Sept. 17 (10 AM PT), with winners able to buy on Sept. 18 and a 72-hour purchase window. Accessories include an ergonomic kit ($59), replacement kit ($49), and USB-C charger ($29); an Arcturus Vision Camera ($149) adds color passthrough, and Valve plans a modular enthusiast kit to upgrade battery and audio in the future.
Ars Technica’s review of Valve’s $1,049 Steam Frame finds it a capable but overengineered standalone VR headset: comfortable with a clever split rear-battery design, a SteamOS experience, wireless PC streaming via a 6 GHz dongle, and Half-Life: Alyx included. However, it suffers from limited battery life, head-tracking quirks, and uneven game compatibility, making the price hard to justify next to the Meta Quest 3 unless you’re a Valve enthusiast or want an open Linux-based VR platform with Alyx.
Valve inadvertently leaked eight Steam Frame VR videos in an ARM Steam Client update, offering an in-depth look at how to wear and comfortably fit the headset, plus a QR-based sign-in method. The clips also showcase modular accessories (hand straps, crown strap, light blocker, eye spacer) and magnets for easy attachable components, IPD adjustment, and battery-pack placement. No price is revealed yet, though the device is expected this summer and the RAM is listed as 16GB amid hardware-cost concerns.
Leaked videos show the Steam Frame being unboxed and set up, including pivot-arm adjustments, a glasses spacer, a wireless dongle for streaming, and an Ergonomic Accessories Kit; the clips appeared on the ARM Steam client and were quickly pulled, signaling a launch could be near.