Valve Announces Steam Frame VR Headset Priced at $1,059

Valve has officially announced pricing and specifications for its new virtual reality headset, the Steam Frame. The device is priced at $1,059, €1,049, or £889 for the 256GB model. A larger 1TB edition is available for $1,299, €1,279, or £1,089. This positions the hardware as one of the most expensive gaming products released by the company.

The Steam Frame is designed primarily to stream games wirelessly from a gaming PC or laptop rather than functioning as a standalone gaming device. It features two LCD panels with a resolution of 2160 by 2160 pixels per eye, pancake lenses, and a 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. The refresh rate ranges from 72Hz to 144Hz, with the 144Hz setting featuring experimental support. Additional hardware specifications include inside-out tracking via four outward-facing cameras, eye tracking supporting foveated rendering, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and a 21.6Wh battery.

Buyers must first enter a randomised email ballot draw or reservation queue to purchase the hardware. This system is designed to ward off opportunistic resellers and scalpers. Customers could join the initial queue until September 17 at 10 AM PT, after which Valve began randomly selecting customers and confirming purchase places via email. The package includes the Steam Frame controllers, which feature full 6-DOF and gamepad controls.

In terms of physical design, the headset weighs around 185g for the visor alone, or about 408g to 440g when accounting for the strap, battery, and facial interface. The battery is located in the rear strap area to provide a balanced weight distribution. However, reports note that this rear battery placement might create comfort issues for sim racers who lean against a solid backrest. Every Steam Frame purchase also includes a bundled copy of Half-Life: Alyx.