Valve has officially launched Steam Frame, finally confirming the long waited price and purchase details for the latest VR headset.
Steam Frame starts at £889 / $1,059 / €1,049 for the 256GB model, while the 1TB model costs £1,089 / $1,299 / €1,279. Both versions include the Steam Frame headset, a pair of Steam Frame Controllers and a copy of Half-Life: Alyx.
The announcement brings an end to months of community speculation and worry after the recent price rises of Steam Deck hardware.
Unlike the Valve Index, Steam Frame isn’t just a tethered PC VR headset. It runs SteamOS natively, can stream VR and flatscreen games wirelessly from a gaming PC using the included dongle and can also run compatible games directly on the headset without a PC. For an up to date list of verified Great on Frame and community tested games, visit Steam Frame Hub Verified.
Here’s everything Valve announced at launch
Steam Frame Pricing
| Model | UK | US | Europe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Frame 256GB | £889 | $1,059 | €1,049 |
| Steam Frame 1TB | £1,089 | $1,299 | €1,279 |
Aside from storage capacity, the hardware is otherwise identical between the two versions. Steam Frame also includes a microSD card slot, giving you options for how you choose to play.
Valve originally indicated that it was aiming to price Steam Frame below the $999 Valve Index full kit. Since then, thanks to the AI-led chip crisis, memory and component costs have skyrocketed which unfortunately increased the price that Valve were able to bring to market.
How do you buy Steam Frame?
Valve have now opened their randomised reservation system, similar to what was used for Steam Machine. Customers can register interest for one model only on their website until September 17 at 10AM PST. After which valve will randomise eligible reservations, rather than opening the doors to inevitable scalpers.
Successful customers will likely be able to purchase the device from September 18th onwards.
Half-Life Alyx is included (and now runs natively!)
Every Steam Frame purchase will include a copy of Half-Life: Alyx. Upon signing into your Steam account on your Steam Frame, you will be prompted to claim a copy of Half-Life: Alyx.
Behind the scenes, Valve have ported the flagship VR title to run natively on the ARM hardware, which was previously only synonymous with PC VR.
Additional Accessories
Valve has also launched several first-party accessories separately from the headset.
The Steam Frame Ergonomic Accessories Kit costs £59 and includes controller hand straps, matching battery doors, a headset top strap and an extended light blocker.
The Accessory Replacement Kit costs £49 and includes a replacement face gasket, head cushion and light blocker.
A 45W power supply costs £29. Notably, the power adapter is not included with Steam Frame itself.
Was Steam Frame worth the wait?
Steam Frame has taken a very different path from the Index.
Valve hasn’t simply built another high-end PC VR headset. Instead, Frame combines wireless PC VR, standalone VR, conventional PC gaming and SteamOS in one device, while still giving enthusiasts room to expand the hardware.
The £889 starting price will undoubtedly be the biggest point of contention. It’s substantially more expensive than mainstream standalone VR headsets, and it’s higher than Valve originally hoped to charge.
But Steam Frame also represents something the VR market hasn’t really had before: a standalone headset built directly around a user’s existing Steam library and the wider PC gaming ecosystem and a welcome change from those unwillingly trapped in the Meta Quest ecosystem.
Steam Frame is here.
Steam Frame Hub will be covering the hardware extensively over the coming weeks, including Great on Frame compatibility, game testing, accessories, guides, developer interviews and feedback from the Steam Frame community.
