Even if you’re not an early adopter of VR headsets and consider yourself a casual gamer, this week’s unveiling of the Steam Frame, the new VR headset from Valve, should grab your attention. It’s likely going to be a sub-$1,000 VR headset, and it could very well be a hit. However, it makes some trade-offs that, while keeping costs down, also expose it to criticism.
Valve has a record of innovation when it comes to gaming, having released the beloved Steam Deck in 2022 and being a platform for new games with the Steam Store. So, when Valve introduces new video game hardware, it’s eventually becomes a big deal; where Valve goes, so do gaming diehards who influence the rest of the market.
The Steam Frame doesn’t have a price yet, and it doesn’t have a release date beyond “next year.” It’s also unclear how long the battery lasts on a single charge. We do know that it runs Steam OS (of course) and is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 ARM64 chip and 16GB of RAM. You can load games onto it via a connection with your PC or from a microSD card.
Although many details have yet to come into focus on the logistics of its arrival to market, we have gained a lot of insight into the device itself, through numerous reports that have surfaced this week from journalists who went hands-on with the Steam Frame at Valve’s headquarters in Bellevue, Washington.
It’s not without its criticisms over some shortcomings, but the Steam Frame has certainly excited technology journalists. To contextualize the good, the bad, and the unknown, here are the specs of the Steam Frame:
Category
Specification
Processor
4 nm Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3
Architecture
ARM64
RAM
16GB Unified LPDDR5X RAM
Storage
256GB / 1TB UFS storage with microSD card slot for expanded storage
Power
Rechargeable 21.6 Wh Li-ion battery, one USB-C 2.0 port in the rear, for charging and data. Charge with USB-C, 45W
Modular headstrap
The headstrap features integrated dual audio drivers and a rechargeable battery located on the rear. Headstrap weight: 245g. The Core module can be separated from the headstrap for other headstrap solutions.
Display
2160 x 2160 LCD (per eye) 72-144Hz refresh rate (144Hz experimental)
OpticsCustom pancake lenses Glass and non-glass optical elements Large FOV (up to 110 degrees)
Optics
60mm – 70mm
Eyeglasses max width
140mm
Tracking
Inside-out camera-based tracking
Cameras
4 outward-facing monochrome cameras for controller and headset tracking, 2 interior cameras for eye tracking and foveated streaming
Passthrough
IR illuminators for tracking and passthrough in dark environments
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7, 2×2 Dual radios enable concurrent 5Ghz Wi-Fi and 6Ghz VR streaming
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.3
Speakers
Dual speaker drivers per ear, integrated into the headstrap
Microphone
Dual microphone array
Dimensions
175mm x 95mm x 110mm (core module + facial interface)
Weight
440 g – core module + headstrap 185 g – core module
OS
SteamOS 3 (Arch-based)
Desktop
KDE Plasma
Wireless adapter
Wireless adapter included in the box Wi-Fi 6E (6GHz) provides a direct, low-latency link between headset and PC
Expansion
User accessible front expansion port, dual high-speed camera interface (8 lanes @ 2.5Gbps MIPI) / PCIe Gen 4 interface (1 lane)
There are no OLED frames
True black isn’t here
The Valve Steam Frame headset and two controllers sitting on a beige backgroundCredit: Valve
Like many of the criticisms of the Steam Frame, the lack of a micro-OLED or OLED panel isn’t a deal-breaker. In his report for CNET, veteran wearables journalist Scott Stein observes that the LCDs inside the headset “looked good — about the equivalent to [the Meta Quest 3].”
Valve’s Jeremy Selan told Upload VR, “I think about HDR every day,” when asked if a future device might swap out LCD for OLED or HDR. While this first generation features LCD displays, a forthcoming “Pro” model or true 2.0 version may utilize OLED technology.
For what it’s worth, only the Apple Vision Pro and Samsung Galaxy XR have micro OLED displays.
One reason there might not be OLED displays in the Frame? Pancake lenses. The squat lenses you’ve seen on cameras used for street photography are also in each eye of the Frame. And pancake lenses don’t let enough light pass through to accommodate an OLED lens, a Valve rep told the Linus Tech Tips YouTube channel when asked about LCD.
Black-and-white passthrough
Monochrome ain’t so bad, is it?
Person wearing a Valve Steam Frame VR headsetCredit: Valve
Jay Peters of The Verge, in his report on the Frame, notes that the Apple Vision Pro and Samsung Galaxy XR — frontrunners when it comes to premium tech in VR headsets — have color passthrough, which, as Peters notes, improves virtual experiences. (This is because a full-color passthrough of the world beyond your VR helmet can translate to a richer experience inside. If you’re playing video games, it may not matter all that much.)
Monochrome (black and white) passthrough is just one factor toward keeping the overall price down, and the differences for many users might be minimal.
“I love color passthrough on my [Meta Quest 3] but honestly I think it’s kinda useless for the main demographic of people who [want] to play SteamVR games, that being people who want to play actual games,” reasoned Redditor u/HomoNeanderTHICC about monochrome passthrough.
Resolution could be higher
A good middle ground, though.
The resolution on this gaming headset is 2160×2160 pixels in each eye, which is less than the 4K resolution of the $1,800 Samsung Galaxy XR. It’s also higher than the $500 Meta Quest 3, which offers 2064×2208 pixels per eye.
“I’m virtually certain the black-levels and the resolution will be disappointing, but it’ll be made up for by ease of use,” commented Redditor u/Rabble_Arouser about the new device.
It’s not a Steam Index 2
There are reasons for that
The Valve Steam Index VR headset floating a black backgroundCredit: Valve
The modular Valve Index costs $1,000, and based on the pared-down specs and lightweight design of the Frame, it’s no surprise that Valve told The Verge that the Frame will cost less than the now-discontinued Index, which was released in 2019.
There’s no top strap for your head
It can be tough to get just right on your head
A person wears the Valve Steam Frame and uses the controllers to navigate a virtual experience. The person is sitting on a couch outside.Credit: Valve
The headstrap has multiple adjustment points, but it doesn’t have a strap that goes atop your head to allow you to wear the Frame a little like a hat. But it’s relatively lightweight (440 grams) compared to its closest competitor in terms of specs — the 515-gram Meta Quest 3 — might justify the lack of a strap that rests on your crown.
What’s next
The next few weeks and months will undoubtedly bring leaks and official announcements about Steam Frame. We’ll get a release date, a price, more information about how to use it, and eventually early full reviews — more than just hands-on demos. Based on the reactions so far, it seems that 2026 is framing up well for the Frame.
