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Newegg is selling Microsoft's black wireless Xbox controller together with a $50 digital Xbox gift card for a combined $80. Since the controller alone usually costs $50 to $60, the deal effectively prices it around $30 once the gift card value is factored in.
Valve's Steam Frame VR headset, previously expected in early 2026, has shipped now starting at $1,059. The Verge's review found it fun for both VR and flatscreen gaming but noted ongoing instability and bugs, echoing the rocky launch of the original Steam Deck.
Valve's Steam Deck supports a built-in factory reset option accessible through Settings > System > Advanced, without needing a PC or USB drive. The reset process takes about 10-15 minutes and requires an internet connection if reinstalling SteamOS afterward, while microSD cards remain unaffected but should still be removed as a precaution.
Valve has released the source code for Lepton, its Android compatibility layer that lets developers run existing Android games on the Steam Frame VR headset without rebuilding them from scratch. The code, hosted on Valve's GitLab, reveals how Valve customizes an Android environment for VR on SteamOS, including graphics access, developer tools and debugging support. It follows the Steam Frame's launch and Valve's earlier announcement of Lepton alongside Steam Frame Verified certification requirements.
Tom's Hardware Premium's weekly roundup covered Valve's release of the Steam Frame VR headset with an interview of its engineers, an investigation into worsening DRAM and NAND shortages now hitting SLC and NOR Flash, and PieceMakers' Taiwan stock debut pitching hybrid-bonded chips as an alternative to HBM for AI inference. The issue also detailed a public dispute among AI leaders after a former OpenAI and Anthropic employee warned advanced AI could threaten humanity by 2030, prompting rebuttals from Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang argued that AI safety concerns should be solved through engineering rather than new regulations or industry slowdowns, contrasting with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's more cautious stance on AI progress. The disagreement highlights a divide among top AI industry leaders over how fast development should proceed.
Reddit user Old-Mate-Fetus built a custom open-frame PC combining an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU and Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU with 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory. The standout feature is a steampunk-style copper liquid cooling loop, including a reservoir repurposed from an old Primus blowtorch, all mounted on a handmade antique wooden base with brass screws hiding the Corsair 850W SFX power supply.
Valve says it's actively working to bring functional Nvidia graphics drivers to SteamOS, the Linux OS behind the Steam Deck and Steam Machine, but the effort could take years to complete. Internal testing has already gotten Nvidia drivers running and rendering graphics on certain GPU generations, though performance still trails AMD hardware.
Alongside Proton, Valve is deploying additional compatibility layers to make Windows games playable on the Arm-based Steam Frame headset running SteamOS. Chief among these is FEX, an open-source x86-to-Arm binary recompiler that Valve has funded since 2018, well before the Steam Frame's existence, working with lead developer Ryan Houdek to make it robust enough for production use.
VR headset shipments have been declining industry-wide, but Valve's upcoming Steam Frame offers a distinct advantage over competitors: deep integration with Steam's massive PC gaming library. Analysts suggest this access to existing games and Valve's established platform could set the device apart in a market struggling to attract new hardware buyers.
Roblox announced 'Roblox Everywhere,' a plan to let creators release their games as standalone apps on mobile, PC, and consoles while Roblox still handles the engine and backend. The move comes as Roblox's creator earnings hit $1.7 billion, with the top 10 creators averaging $65 million each even as the median creator earned only about $1,500. Roblox also confirmed cross-play will remain on by default, keeping standalone games tied into its main network.
Initial reviews of Valve's Steam Frame VR headset highlight strong build quality and performance, positioning it as a capable standalone device for PC and VR gaming. However, reviewers consistently point to its steep price tag as a significant barrier for mainstream adoption.