Valve has announced the Steam Frame, a standalone VR headset priced at $1059 for the 256GB model and $1299 for the 1TB version. European pricing is set at €1049 and €1279, while UK pricing is £889 and £1089. The device features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and dual 2160x2160 LCD displays with refresh rates between 72Hz and 144Hz.
The headset utilizes eye-tracking for foveated rendering to optimize performance on mobile hardware. It runs on SteamOS and supports both VR and flat-screen PC games, including Windows titles via compatibility layers. For high-performance gaming, users can stream content from a PC using Wi-Fi 7 or the included 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E USB adapter.
The device weighs approximately 435 to 440 grams and includes a 21.6Wh battery. New controllers with 6DOF tracking and a 40-hour battery life are included. Valve is implementing a lottery-based reservation system to manage demand, with registration closing on September 17 and notifications starting September 18.
Valve confirmed a native ARM64 version of Half-Life: Alyx for the Steam Frame, which will be included with the headset. While the device lacks built-in color passthrough, an optional Vision Camera accessory is available for $149. An ergonomic kit is also offered for $49, with plans for future modular hardware expansions.
