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Here’s a clear questions and answers page for everything we know so far about Steam Frame.
Do we know the price of Steam Frame?
Right now, we do not know the price concretely. The last information on this came directly from Valve in November 2025 when they said “Valve isn’t yet giving a price for Steam Frame, but said it’s aiming to sell it for less than the $1000 [USD] Index full-kit.” – UploadVR, Steam Frame First Impressions (Nov. 2025) It’s worth noting that due to the increased costs of hardware components, this may no longer be possible. Steam Deck saw a significant price increase recently as a result of this.
When is Steam Frame Shipping?
The latest official information that we have from Valve is that the Frame is looking to ship during the Summer of 2026. In recent weeks, we’ve heard rumours of a July release and there have been significant movements in software and shipment updates that align with this timeframe.
How many devices will be available at launch?
The current conservative estimate of Frames in the continental United States alone is approximately 41,600 units at the time of writing, however it is expected to be much more by launch. This is based on community estimates, and is entirely speculative.
Can I use lighthouse-tracked accessories with Steam Frame?
The headset itself does not track lighthouses as it uses its own proprietary inside-out tracking but it should be compatible with lighthouse tracked accessories. We will not have confirmation of this until the device is in the hands of community members.
Is my PC powerful enough for Steam Frame?
If your PC can run SteamVR and has USB ports, it can stream to the Steam Frame. It is recommended to have a GPU equivalent of the Nvidia RTX 3070 to expect good performance, but your results may vary based on the game. As of now, it is unclear whether Intel ARC GPUs will be supported in future as they are currently not supported in the current releases of SteamVR. SteamVR on linux is also unreliable at present but has made developments to improve.
How does the Steam Frame compare to the Meta Quest 3?
The CPU alone is 20-30% more powerful than the Quest 3 but the Steam Frame overall as a package is a more compelling offer over the Quest for most enthusiasts due to not being locked into the Meta ecosystem and the various enhancements of the hardware.
Can I still play with my existing Wi Fi setup without the included Steam Frame Dongle?
Yes, the Steam Frame headset supports Wi-Fi streaming just like using Steam Link on the Meta Quest lines of devices.
Do I need an internet connection when using the included wireless Steam Frame dongle?
The dongle creates a dedicated link between your PC and the headset, it does not rely on any other connections.
Do I need to buy my games again if I want to play them standalone on Steam Frame?
Standalone builds of VR games will need to be bundled with their PCVR x86 versions, and will not require you to repurchase them via Steam.
Does the Steam Frame have a headphone jack?
Unfortunately not but a USB-C to 3.5mm DAC adapter or bluetooth headphones will work fine.
Does the Steam Frame support colour passthrough?
No but the Steam Frame supports additional PCIE modules which allows the ability for a colour camera expansion module to be released in the future, either by Valve or a third party.
How long will the battery last on Steam Frame?
Standalone playtime is expected to last around an hour, with streaming from a PC extending the battery life to a maximum of around 2 hours. This may change when the device is launched and in the hands of the community and could improve further with software efficiencies.
What is the recommended charging wattage?
Stated in the official developer documentation, Valve recommends that a power adapter or battery pack should be used that supports a minimum of 27W with a recommendation of 45W for charging. This means that your existing Steam Deck chargers should work fine with the Steam Frame.
Do the Frame Controllers have finger curl tracking like the Valve Index?
Yes. The same technology is present int he controllers but does not include pressure sensitivity. Dev-kit owners state that is on par with the existing previous technology.
Do I need a smartphone to setup my Frame?
No, you can use a smartphone to simplify setup using the Steam mobile app but you can continue to set up on device.
Can I replace the internal storage on the Steam Frame like the Deck and Machine?
The headset uses a UFS storage chip that is directly soldered onto the board, which makes this very unlikely for your average consumer to be able to replace. However, the Steam Frame has expandable storage via an SDXC MicroSD card slot.
How will purchasing the Steam Frame work?
We can’t say for sure but following the launch of Steam Machine, it is very likely Valve will use a system akin to the Steam Machine purchase process which involves users signing up to a waitlist reservation system. Interest is then randomised and users are places in a list hierarchy ranging from being able to immediately purchase or purchase later in the year. Once a user has access to purchase a device, they have 72 hours to check out before their reservation is allocated to someone else.
Does Steam Frame support Mixed Reality apps?
There’s nothing stopping you from using XR apps with Steam Frame but it was designed to play VR and 2D video games. Frame has a black and white passthrough camera experience so it will not play like the Quest 3.
Will Steam Frame support hand tracking?
Currently there is no indication of support for dedicated hand tracking without controllers at launch. However, it’s likely that community efforts or Valve directly can add this over time, as we saw with other headsets such as the Quest.
How long will the Frame get features or security updates?
Valve products released as far back as 2015 are still receiving software updates. There is no indication that Steam Frame will have limited support in the near or long term future.
Can I watch videos or listen to music on Steam Frame?
Yes. The Steam Frame is able to use any Linux applications standalone just like any Linux computer or handheld. Any apps you can use on your Steam Deck should work fine on Steam Frame. This includes Spotify, Youtube, Discord, Stremio etc.
Is the Steam Frame a good device to use for productivity?
The Steam Frame is a gaming and entertainment device first, it can be used for productivity but it was not designed with this in mind.
Can I play Meta Quest games on Steam Frame?
There is no indication currently that side loading Quest applications will work through Android (Lepton) however this may be possible in the future.
How many games are compatible with Steam Frame?
Game compatibility should largely be dependent on performance with minimal software translation overhead. However, we are unsure of the broad compatibility at this time. Valve have already launched their “Great on Frame” verification system and we will provide updates on this as more games are confirmed.
What kind of connector is the front expansion port?
The front expansion port is a proprietary PCIe Gen 4 connector with a single lane of bandwidth.
What can the front expansion port be used for?
It can be used from anything from USB hubs to potential colour passthrough camera interfaces or face trackers. The community will likely create some interesting hardware.
Will Decky Loader be supported on Steam Frame?
Yes, the project lead of Decky has confirmed that their is support for Steam Frame planned in the future.
Will the foam on the battery be removable?
Yes, the foam on the battery will be able to be removed and replaced as it is attached with Velcro.
What material is the head gasket/battery foam?
The material of the foams are similar to the ones used in the Valve Index.
Last updated: 17 Jul 2026
All information in this article comes with thanks to our fantastic discord community members Figma Board. Huge thanks to monolith07, Superbad, wilnotwill, seppukkake, sherbertdev, nelo390, minimiscus, vado, bumimandias and toast concern.
