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Steam Frame
Upcoming virtual reality headset From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Steam Frame is an upcoming standalone virtual reality headset developed by Valve Corporation. Announced in November 2025, it is expected to be released in early-2026.
Serving as a successor to the Valve Index, the Frame is a standalone device running SteamOS; VR games and apps can be run natively on the headset (with access to x86-64, Proton, and Android compatibility layers), or streamed from a PC over Wi-Fi.
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Specifications
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Hardware
The Steam Frame has a visor-like design; Valve stated that the base unit had a weight of 185 grams (0.408 lb), and 440 grams (0.97 lb) when the default facial interface and strap is installed. It uses LCD displays viewed through pancake lenses, with a per-eye resolution of 2160×2160, and support for refresh rates of 72, 120 and 144 Hz, and physical interpupillary distance adjustment via a knob.[1][2][3] It will support eye tracking, which can be used for foveated rendering.[4]
The Frame will use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 system-on-chip with 16 GB of LPDDR5X memory, and be sold in models with 256 GB and 1 TB of internal storage, expandable via microSD cards; microSD cards can also be shared with other SteamOS devices such as Steam Deck and the second-generation Steam Machine.[2][3]
For Wi-Fi connectivity, it will utilize two radios on the 2.4 and 6 GHz bands respectively; the 2.4 GHz connection will primarily be used for internet access by the headset and its operating system, while the 6 GHz connection is used primarily for streaming VR content from a host computer. A USB Wi-Fi 6E adapter will be bundled with the Frame, allowing the computer to establish a direct connection to the headset, bypassing local area networks to reduce latency and congestion. Use of the adapter is optional, and users can still use their own local Wi-Fi networks.[1][2][3]
The front of the headset contains four monochrome passthrough cameras and an infrared emitter for inside-out tracking using simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Its motion controllers are similar in design to the Touch Plus controllers used by the Meta Quest 3, but with a button layout similar to standard gamepads for improved compatibility with non-VR games, including a D-pad on the left controller and four face buttons on the right. The analog sticks will use tunneling magnetoresistance, making them less susceptible to stick drift.[3]
Valve will release CAD files and specifications to allow for the development of third-party accessories and attachments. The device includes an expansion port with a lane of PCI Express gen 4 connectivity and a MIPI camera interface; Valve suggested that the port could be used for accessories such as face tracking, depth sensors, and color passthrough cameras.[3]
Software
The Frame will run a version of Valve's Arch Linux-based SteamOS, supporting both VR and non-VR games from Steam. It will include various compatibility layers for OS and processor support, including Proton for Microsoft Windows games, FEX-Emu for emulating x86 software on ARM, and an Android Open Source Project (AOSP)-based runtime environment with sideloading support—which will allow VR apps developed for Android-based headsets such as Meta Quest to be readily published for Frame.[5][3] Similarly to Steam Deck, the Steam storefront will mark games tested for compatibility with the headset as being "Steam Frame Certified".[3]
VR software can also be wirelessly streamed to the Frame from a gaming PC using Steam Link, with Valve emphasizing this functionality by promoting the device as a "streaming-first" headset.[1][2][3] Streaming will leverage an encoding technique Valve refers to as "foveated streaming", a variation of foveated rendering where eye tracking data is used to selectively increase the bitrate of the stream based on where the user is looking. Unlike foveated rendering, this technique is applied at the encoder level and does not require any further implementation by game developers.[3][4]
The second-generation Steam Machine will offer integration with Frame, including the ability to wake the device over the network to launch a game for streaming.[3]
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History
Ars Technica reported from internal sources that Valve had multiple prototypes for a new VR headset in development, including a PC-based headset that would succeed the Valve Index, as well as a standalone headset similar to Oculus Quest.[6] In 2021, updates to the SteamVR runtimes began adding references to a device codenamed "Deckard", as well as functionality (especially on the ARM Linux version of SteamVR) of relevance to standalone VR headsets.[6] In September 2025, it was reported that Valve had filed for trademarks on the name "Steam Frame" in reference to gaming hardware.[7]
On November 12, 2025, Valve officially announced Steam Frame as part of a new family of SteamOS products, including the second-generation Steam Machine. It is expected to be released in early-2026.[8] Valve did not announce any pricing details, but stated that it expected the headset to cost less than the Index.[2]
SteamOS developer Pierre-Loup Griffais believed that the device's use of ARM processors was a first step by Valve towards other devices utilizing them, including future handhelds.[5]
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References
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