Steam Frame is Getting a Color Passthrough Camera Upgrade Add-on

Valve’s upcoming standalone virtual reality device, the Steam Frame, is reportedly receiving an official color passthrough camera upgrade add-on. While the Steam Frame itself has not yet launched and currently lacks an official price or release date, evidence of a color passthrough module has emerged following an early product page publication by Komodo Station, Valve’s hardware vendor in Asia.

The module is built by Arcturus Industries, the third-party computer vision specialist that creates the headset's built-in camera tracking system. Standard versions of the Steam Frame only ship with monochrome passthrough, which is primarily utilized for computer vision tracking alongside basic environment checks. According to the leaked product page information captured by Reddit user 'gogodboss', the official Arcturus Vision Camera for the Steam Frame features dual 32-megapixel sensors, 10-bit HDR capture, and a 64-millimeter interpupillary distance to capture stereoscopic 3D images matching typical eye spacing.

Specifications detailed on the leaked page indicate the module supports native 5K capture at 4,928 × 2,464 resolution (stereo 2,464 × 2,464) running at 60 FPS, with capabilities scaling up to 72 FPS and 144 FPS through special configurations and software updates. In addition to delivering a full-color exterior view, the hardware is stated to facilitate real-time environment mapping, spatial video recording, and software-assisted tools for Gaussian Splatting. The binocular field of view is listed at 125 by 105 degrees, with vertical fields of view capable of expanding to 125 degrees via software updates.

Designed with hardware modification in mind similarly to the Valve Index, the Steam Frame incorporates a Gen 4 PCIe (1x) slot, two MIPI connectors, and support for dual 2.5 Gbps bandwidth lanes. Valve has previously stated plans to release official computer-aided design files to enable community accessory development, such as potential custom facial tracking mods. Official pricing and availability for both the base Steam Frame and the newly detailed Arcturus Vision Camera module remain unannounced by Valve.