Steam Frame is Poised for Launch as Units Begin Reaching the US
Road to VR • • technology
Key Points:
- Valve is preparing for the launch of its Steam Frame standalone VR headset, having imported approximately 32,000 kg of virtual reality devices to US warehouses, likely representing the new headset units.
- Steam Frame features wireless PC tethering for low-latency streaming, standalone operation with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, dual 2160x2160 per-eye LCD displays, up to 144 Hz refresh rate, eye-tracking, and inside-out optical tracking.
- The headset runs on a Linux-based SteamOS with Proton compatibility, allowing it to natively run Windows games, and supports both traditional flatscreen and SteamVR games.
- Valve has confirmed a summer release for both Steam Frame and the Steam Machine console, although pricing and exact release dates remain undisclosed, with earlier delays attributed to component shortages and rising hardware costs.
- Valve is engaging with developers by planning to offer Steam Frame dev kits to optimize PC VR games, and has indicated openness to bringing SteamOS to third-party VR headsets in the future.