Updated
Updated · PCMag · Sep 18
Valve Opens Steam Frame Orders at $1,059 After Memory Delay
Updated
Updated · PCMag · Sep 18

Valve Opens Steam Frame Orders at $1,059 After Memory Delay

3 articles · Updated · PCMag · Sep 18

Summary

  • Valve began taking orders on Sept. 18 for the Steam Frame, with a 256GB model priced at $1,059 and a 1TB version at $1,299.
  • A waitlist and reservation system is handling sales to deter bots and resellers: selected buyers receive purchase emails as units become available and have 72 hours to complete checkout.
  • The headset ships with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, a 4-nanometer Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, dual 2,160-by-2,160 LCDs and inside-out tracking instead of external sensors.
  • Valve is pitching the device for both VR and non-VR gaming, including standalone play with more than 100 verified titles and streaming across a user's Steam library.
  • Early reviews from IGN and CNET praised its broad out-of-box capabilities but flagged short battery life as a key drawback.

Insights

Why would Valve sell a premium $1,000-plus VR headset but force buyers to purchase the power supply separately?
Can a highly anticipated VR headset survive the market if its battery dies after just one hour of play?
Will Valve’s extreme account restrictions finally end the era of hardware scalping, or just frustrate genuine buyers?