Valve has announced the Steam Frame, a new standalone virtual reality (VR) headset capable of both streaming games from a PC and playing titles locally, utilizing an onboard Arm chip. This headset represents a departure from Valve’s previous model, the Index, which required a physical tether to a gaming computer. The Steam Frame distinguishes itself from other major VR options on the market, such as the Meta Quest 3, Samsung Galaxy XR, and Apple Vision Pro.
One of the key features of the Steam Frame is its emphasis on game streaming. The headset is designed to work with a wireless dongle, which connects to a PC, enabling users to stream both flat and VR games over a low-latency connection. Early tests at Valve’s headquarters indicated that users might not experience noticeable lag during gameplay, such as in the title Half-Life: Alyx.
In addition to streaming, the Steam Frame can run games directly, as it has SteamOS operational on its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. Unlike many other headsets that require games to be developed specifically for their platform, the Frame can run Windows x86 code using real-time emulation, allowing a wider range of titles from the Steam library to be playable directly on the headset.
However, it should be noted that the Frame may not support high-performance gaming locally. Valve designer Lawrence Yang suggested that developers should aim for lower performance benchmarks than those for the Steam Deck. During testing, some users experienced performance issues with lower-end games, but Valve noted that these issues were related to bugs, and they expect to implement enhancements before the product launch.
Valve has not yet disclosed a price for the Steam Frame but aims to set it below the cost of the Index, which was listed at $999. In comparison, the Meta Quest 3 retails for $499.99, while the Samsung Galaxy XR and Apple Vision Pro are priced significantly higher at $1,799.99 and $3,499, respectively. The Steam Frame is expected to be released in early 2026.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/818041/valve-steam-frame-vr-headsets-comparison