Katarzyna Petru
Valve is returning to the fight for VR. Steam Frame – new goggles set to be released at the beginning of 2026 – are intended to compete with the Meta Quest 3 and at the same time represent a new approach to VR within the Steam ecosystem. The headset works both standalone and wirelessly connects to PC, providing access to thousands of VR games already available on Steam. The only issue is that it has one problem: the displays are still HD, without HDR and without local dimming, so the image quality remains far behind the Vision Pro or Galaxy XR.
Powerful hardware, huge ecosystem… and LCD like from years ago
Valve emphasises that the Steam Frame is set to give a new impulse to the VR market, and it does indeed look promising. The headset runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is over 2× faster than the XR2 Gen 2 from the Meta Quest 3. This means that some VR games can be played locally – without a PC.
At the same time, users gain the greatest advantage that neither Meta, nor Samsung, nor Apple has: the full Steam library. Games can be streamed from a PC using a dedicated 6 GHz adapter, which focuses the transfer where we are looking – thanks to foveated streaming and eye tracking.
Importantly – the goggles cannot be connected with a cable. No wires at all. Additionally, SteamOS (on ARM) makes it easier to port applications and expands the ecosystem to include non-gaming applications. However, Valve makes it clear: this is not an XR headset. The passthrough only works in black and white, is basic, and will not replace mixed reality in the style of Vision Pro.
Displays: Disappointment
And here we come to the biggest downside. The Steam Frame uses two 2160×2160 LCDs per eye, with no HDR, no local dimming, and no OLED depth.
This is at the level of "HD VR," similar to the Meta Quest 3. In VR, this means:
lower contrast,
worse immersion,
visible pixelation,
and the lack of the "wow" effect that the Vision Pro or Galaxy XR achieve with their 4K micro-OLED panels.
The refresh rate ranges from 72 to 144 Hz, although 144 Hz is experimental.
Lightweight, modular and painfully gaming-focused
Weight: 440 g, which is lighter than many competitors.
Additionally, a modular headstrap with:
3D speakers,
a battery at the back (21.6 Wh),
the option to swap for different straps.
Steam Frame also features:
inside-out tracking,
four monochromatic cameras,
two eye sensors,
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3,
expansion port (8-lane MIPI camera or PCIe 4.0).
The package also includes new controllers: Steam Controllers VR. Price? Unknown, but expected to be lower than Valve Index.
Valve Steam Frame – full specification (UK)
Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm, ARM64)
RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5X
Storage: 256 GB / 1 TB UFS + microSD
Battery: 21.6 Wh, USB-C 45W
Displays: 2160×2160 LCD (per eye), 72–144Hz
Lenses: Pancake, FOV up to 110°
Tracking: Inside-out + eye-tracking
Cameras: 4 external mono + 2 internal
Passthrough: black and white
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6E adapter, Bluetooth 5.3
Audio: speakers in the strap, 2× microphones
Weight: 440 g (with strap), 185 g module only
OS: SteamOS 3, KDE Plasma
Who will win this?
Steam Frame may not push VR technology forward – Apple and Samsung are already in a different realm of image quality.
But Valve is doing something smarter:
it gives full Steam in goggles,
a gigantic library of games,
powerful hardware,
low price (probably),
premium class wireless streaming.
This could be the first VR headset that really reaches the masses, even if it’s not the best. And the Index is officially becoming a thing of the past.
