I Tried Valve's Steam Frame, Machine and Controller
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Valve’s all new Steam Frame VR headset is set to launch in Spring 2026, promising a premium standalone experience aimed at Meta Quest 3 buyers and serious PC gamers.
Valve has announced the Steam Frame, a standalone VR headset built to stream PC games with low latency and run Steam titles locally. It runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and SteamOS. It is aimed at PC gamers who want high-end VR without cables or the need to stay tethered to a desktop.
While it more or less matches the Quest 3 in resolution, optics, and horizontal field of view, it has a better chip, more RAM, and stronger Wi-Fi support. On the flip side, the Quest 3's colour pass-through is a touch above Valve's mono one. On paper, it's what you'd expect from a standalone VR headset going into 2026.
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets.