Valve is launching its new VR headset, the Steam Frame, on September 14. The device will be sold via a reservation system to prevent scalping. Pricing starts at $1,059 for the 256GB model, with a 1TB version available for $1,299.
The headset features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, allowing it to function as a standalone device or stream games from a PC. Valve utilizes SteamOS adapted for Arm architecture, supported by Proton for game emulation.
For wireless PC connectivity, the device uses a dedicated Wi-Fi 6E USB dongle operating on the 6 GHz band. A fallback mechanism is implemented to maintain connection stability in case of interference.
The headset includes internal eye-tracking cameras to enable foveated streaming. This technology prioritizes bandwidth allocation to the area where the user is looking, optimizing image quality and network resource usage.
Valve engineers noted that the device is primarily designed for streaming, though it can run indie titles and older AAA games natively. The company is also optimizing Half-Life Alyx to run more natively on the new hardware.
