Valve has officially launched the Steam Frame, its first VR headset since 2019. The device is priced at $1,059 and comes bundled with a native ARM64 port of Half-Life: Alyx. This version runs directly on the headset's Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 3 chip, supporting existing mods and save files.
The port utilizes the headset's built-in eye-tracking cameras to enable foveated rendering, which optimizes performance by focusing resolution on the user's gaze. The device features 16GB of VRAM, allowing the game to run without requiring the removal of any original assets or gameplay elements.
The development of this port required a year of additional software work focused on Vulkan drivers and SteamVR. Valve stated that these optimizations are not exclusive to Half-Life: Alyx and will benefit other titles running on the Steam Frame platform.
The Steam Frame supports games built for Windows via translation and emulation layers. Additionally, it can run applications designed for Android-based headsets through a compatibility layer known as Lepton. Valve has not announced any new internal VR game projects.
