Valve is developing a Steam Frame accessory with Index-like speakers and hot-swappable batteries

Valve is reportedly working on a first-party accessory for its Steam Frame portable VR headset that will add Index-like off-ear speakers and support for hot-swappable batteries. The announcement was made by Jeremy Selan, a software engineer at Valve, during a pre-launch discussion.

The Steam Frame features a modular design, allowing the core module—containing the processor, RAM, storage, and optics—to be detached from the head strap. This strap also houses the battery, an SD card slot, and speakers.

"We're working on a future first-party accessory where it will plug in and replace the existing [strap]," Selan stated. "That head strap will include a hot-swappable battery, and then premium Index-style off-ear audio." While Selan could not provide a specific release date, he indicated that Valve aims to make the accessory available "as soon as we can."

Joy Lyons, a hardware engineer and audio expert at Valve, elaborated on the audio aspect, noting that the goal was to replicate the quality of the Valve Index's audio solution. "The Valve Index audio is, I mean, it's awesome, and so we wanted to give people the opportunity to have that," Lyons said. "And so it's a modular design. You just snap in, like Jeremy mentioned. That's not available at launch, but it's coming soon, and we'll have pricing and details on that."

Lyons also explained the design choices behind the Steam Frame's current audio system. To maintain the headset's lightweight and collapsible nature, the speakers were integrated into the head strap. Initially, placing two drivers close to the core module, which houses sensitive tracking cameras, led to issues with vibration affecting the display. The team resolved this by inverting one driver per side, canceling out vibrations while maintaining stereo sound output.

"We wanted to have this open-ear experience, so that really gives you that sense of immersion; you're not closed in, you're not hot, and it just builds a very natural sound," Lyons added, describing the open-ear design philosophy.

The current integrated speakers in the Steam Frame have been met with satisfaction, with reports of no complaints regarding their performance. The planned accessory aims to elevate this experience further by incorporating the highly regarded off-ear audio design from the Valve Index.