Following the huge success of Steam Deck in the handheld market, Valve officially unveiled the long-rumored "Deckard" earlier (November 13th).Steam Frame, a brand new virtual reality headsetThis device, touted as "streaming-first" and supporting standalone operation, is expected to launch in early 2026.New Steam Machine and Steam Controller Launched simultaneously.
Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, supporting standalone operation and Android games.
Similar to the Meta Quest series, the Steam Frame is a standalone computing device. Its core specifications include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of UFS storage, and a microSD card slot.
The system also runs SteamOS, and Valve will launch the "Steam Frame Verified" certification program. Notably, Steam Frame is confirmed to support Android games, which means Valve also intends to incorporate VR content originally developed for Android-based headsets (such as the Quest).
For connectivity, Steam Frame supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3. For those wanting to connect to a PC to play high-quality games, Valve has also released a plug-and-play 6GHz wireless transmitter with a dual-radio design to minimize interference and ensure streaming quality.
Featuring Foveated Streaming technology, dual 2160×2160 LCD screens
In terms of visual experience, Steam Frame uses a thin pancake lens, paired with two LCD panels each with a resolution of 2160 x 2160, supporting a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz and a field of view (FOV) of 110 degrees.
To improve the quality of wireless streaming, Valve introduced a technology called "Foveated Streaming." Using two built-in eye-tracking cameras, the system optimizes image detail based on the area the user is looking at. Valve claims this technology delivers "10 times the image quality and effective bandwidth."
Lightweight 440-gram body, rear-mounted battery for balanced weight distribution
In terms of wearing comfort, the Steam Frame adopts a front-to-back weight distribution design. The 21.6Wh lithium battery is positioned at the back of the headband, which not only balances the center of gravity but also keeps the total weight of the device to less than 440 grams (185g for the core module + 245g for the headband), and supports 45W fast charging.
In addition, the device employs inside-out tracking technology, is equipped with four high-resolution monochrome cameras and infrared LEDs to assist in tracking in dark areas, and supports monochrome passthrough functionality.
The new controller features a magnetic joystick and boasts a battery life of up to 40 hours.
The included Steam Frame controller features a detachable design and full 6-DOF tracking. Valve opted for magnetic thumbsticks instead of Hall effect joysticks, but still supports capacitive finger detection. The controller is powered by AA batteries, providing approximately 40 hours of battery life on a single charge.
Although Valve has not yet announced the specific price, the launch of Steam Frame, coupled with its dual support for PC streaming and standalone operation, will clearly make Valve a formidable competitor in the VR market once again after several years of silence.
Along with the new Steam Machine and Steam Controller, the new Steam hardware for the Asian region will be launched in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong via the Komodo platform.
