After nearly a year of anticipation, Valve's Steam Frame VR headset is now available, but its launch price of $1,059 marks a considerable increase from initial expectations. The base model features 256GB of storage, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, and 16GB of RAM. A 1TB variant will be offered for $1,299. Both configurations include two controllers, an eye spacer for glasses wearers, and a dedicated Wi-Fi 6GHz dongle for PCVR streaming.
The Steam Frame's pricing positions it as a high-end PCVR device, potentially making it a competitor to offerings like the $1,799 Samsung Galaxy XR. While not directly comparable to standalone headsets like the Meta Quest 3, the Steam Frame incorporates features such as eye tracking and twice the RAM of its competitor, alongside its dedicated wireless PC dongle. The headset is primarily designed for streaming PCVR games, a task at which it reportedly excels.
Valve acknowledged that the Steam Frame, similar to the Steam Machine and Steam Deck, experienced a price increase during development. This rise is attributed in part to ongoing supply chain pressures, particularly affecting RAM prices, which have also impacted the cost of consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Reservations for the Steam Frame are open until September 17th at 10 AM PST. Following this period, Valve will assign customers to either a reservation list or a waitlist, with those signing up after the deadline placed at the end of the waitlist. Shipping is scheduled to commence on September 18th. As units are fulfilled from the reservation list, individuals on the waitlist will be contacted and moved to the reservation queue. Based on previous Valve hardware launches, such as the Steam Machine and Steam Controller, it is anticipated that the fulfillment process for the reservation list could extend through the end of the year and into early 2027.