Steam Frame: discover Valve’s VR headset made to play your entire Steam game wirelessly

What is Steam Frame?

The Steam Frame is a virtual reality headset with integrated viewfinder, pancake lenses and proprietary hardware.

He is Compatible with all Steam games and connects wirelessly to a PC via a 6GHz USB adapter included. The proposal is to allow high quality transmission of the user’s library with low latencywithout relying on cables or complex configurations. It is also possible toplay titles directly on the headset, as long as they are compatible with SteamOS.

Among the announced innovations, the device adopts foveated transmission technology, which prioritizes rendering pixels in the region where the player’s gaze is focusedwhich reduces bandwidth demand and improves image quality.

To achieve this, the headset has internal eye tracking sensors and processes this information in real time.

What is foveated transmission and why does it matter

One of the more technical but important features of Steam Frame is the call foveated transmissiona concept that may seem complex at first glance, but which has direct impacts on the quality and performance of the VR experience.

The technique is based on how our eyes work naturally: we see only the central area of ​​the field of vision (the fovea) more clearly, while the rest remains in less focus.

The Steam Frame uses internal sensors to track exactly where the player is looking and based on that, it sends a very high quality image only in the focused region. The peripheral parts receive a lower resolution, something imperceptible to the user, but which significantly reduces bandwidth usage and graphics processing.

This type of optimization is called foveated renderingbut in the case of Valve’s headset, it occurs during wireless transmission of data from PC to displayhence the term “foveated transmission”. According to the company, this represents an improvement of up to 10x bandwidth efficiency and overall sharpness.

In short, it’s a smart way to prioritize resources: what your eyes actually see in detail receives graphic priority, and what’s around consumes less of the network and system. All this automatically and in real time.

Steam Frame (Headset) technical sheet

The Steam Frame is accompanied by two wireless controllers developed specifically for the new platform. Each of them has r6 degrees of freedom trackingcapacitive touch sensors and haptic feedback.

The layout of the buttons is similar to that of a traditional gamepad, which makes it easy to use in both VR games and conventional titles.

Control highlights:

• 1 thumbstick per side (magnetic, no drift)
• ABXY and D-pad buttons
• Analog triggers and bumpers
• Capacitive sensors on buttons
• Feedback háptico
• 1 AA battery per controller (~40h of use)

PC gamers tell us all the time they want better ways to access everything they already have on Steam

Gabe Newellco-founder of Valve

According to Gabe Newell, Steam Frame appears as a natural extension of the company’s ecosystem, taking advantage of SteamOS, Proton and the platform’s update infrastructure.

Technical sheet of Steam Frame controls

Differences in controls compared to the competition

Unlike other virtual reality controls that rely on simplified designs or rely on external cameras, Steam Frame Controllers combine a complete traditional control layout with capacitive tracking technology.

This allows them to work in both VR games and conventional Steam titles. Internal sensors detect finger placement, increasing gesture precision and immersion without requiring external sensors or base stations.

Another technical difference is the presence of magnetic levers of last generation, which replace physical mechanisms subject to wear. This system eliminates common risks such as the dreaded drift — recurring problem with other VR controllers and even popular consoles. The same levers already equip the new version of the Steam Controller.

The power supply also stands out for its simplicity: each control uses a single AA batterywith estimated autonomy of about 40 hours. This reduces the need for constant recharging and allows immediate replacement, something that pleases users who avoid depending on internal batteries.

Additionally, all backwards compatibility with the SteamVR catalog has been maintained, something that is still a limitation in some rival ecosystems. The controls were designed as a split pair of a gamepad, with thumbsticks, D-pad, ABXY buttons, bumpers and analog triggersmaking it easier to adapt to different playing styles.

Other news: Steam Controller and Steam Machine

Along with the headset, Valve also revealed a new Steam Controllerwith capacitive sensors and magnetic sticks, and a new Steam Machinemini-PC with SteamOS and a focus on local gaming and streaming.

These products complement the company’s strategy of expanding its presence in gaming hardware, building on the foundation created with the Steam Deck.

Price and global launch scheduled for 2026

Despite already having an official page on the Steam Store, the Steam Frame is not yet on pre-sale.

Valve confirmed that the launch will take place in 2026 and that more information about pricing and regional availability will be released in the coming months.

For now, it is only possible add product to wish listwithout any mention of price.

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What to expect from Steam Frame in the Valve ecosystem?

With features such as foveated streaming, eye tracking and dedicated wireless bandwidth, the Steam Frame ushers in a new phase for virtual reality on Steam.

By focusing on integration and convenience, the headset seeks to serve an already consolidated base of PC gamers who want to explore VR with fewer technical barriers.

It remains to be seen how the market will react to competitors such as Meta Quest and HTC devices, which are also moving towards wireless freedom and more efficient graphics quality.

Source: Valve