It's official. Valve just announced its new Steam Frame VR headset, a standalone virtual reality device that looks to take on the Meta Quest 3 — and it's built for SteamOS.
Valve finally revealed its long-awaited VR headset today, previously rumored to be Valve Deckard, and it's a wireless device that comes equipped with a Snapdragon ARM processor, an LCD display with 2160 x 2160 per eye resolution, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, up to a 120Hz refresh rate (144Hz experimental) and pancake optic lenses — with that last one being similar to the Quest 3.
Valve Steam Frame: Specs
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Valve Steam Frame |
|---|---|
Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor (4nm) |
Resolution | 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye |
Storage | Up to 1TB |
RAM | 16GB |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 (wirless adapter with Wi-Fi 6E) |
Weight | 0.9 pounds (including headstrap) |
Valve Steam Frame: Everything we know so far
From the looks of it, the Steam Frame and its VR controllers look similar to the Meta Quest 3, just without the strap on top. It comes with cushioning on the facial interface and rear, with the latter holding the rechargeable 21.6 Wh battery that appears to plug into the headset.
It also comes in at a lightweight 0.9 pounds with the headstrap included (the Quest 3 weighs 1.1 pounds).
Excitingly, the headset comes with hugely welcome pancake lenses, which is what the Meta Quest 3 has been praised for. But the specs fall more in line with the PSVR 2, with the 2160 x 2160 per eye LCD displays, 72 to 120Hz refresh rate, with 144Hz being experimental, and a wide 110-degree FOV.
More than just a successor to the Valve Index, the Steam Frame doesn't require a Base Station for tracking, as it acts as a standalone VR headset. It comes with four outward-facing cameras and two interior cameras for eye tracking, and even passthrough to see your immediate space even with the headset on (much like Meta Quest headsets).
As for under the hood, it comes with a Snapdragon ARM processor based on 4nm architecture, like the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, and comes with 16GB of DDR5 RAM, 256GB or 1TB storage options and a microSD card slot for even more storage. With its Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, it's also offering up some faster connection speeds.
While it's a standalone headset that runs on SteamOS, it also comes with a wireless adapter to offer a direct, cordless link between the headset and your PC. That means we could see extended PCVR gaming. Plus, you can expect dual speakers in the headstrap itself, along with a microphone.
The Steam Frame comes announced with two other exciting products: The Steam Machine home console and new Steam Controller. With a new VR headset now arriving in 2026, though, here's hoping Valve's Steam Frame is a tease of a follow-up to Half-Life: Alyx. But for now, only time will tell what's to come.
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