Valve is rolling out its $1000 Steam Frame headset slowly through a lottery-based reservation system meant to curb scalping, similar to its earlier Steam Machine launch. In the meantime, gamers with existing VR hardware from Valve, HTC, Meta or other brands can already play VR titles on Steam using the SteamVR app, which connects headsets to the Steam launcher and unlocks features like SteamVR Home and dashboard settings.
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.
Valve has begun taking reservations for the Steam Frame, a standalone VR headset priced at $1,049, marking its first major hardware push into virtual reality since largely stepping back from the category years ago. Ars Technica's early hands-on testing found the device notably lightweight at 440 grams, about 15 percent lighter than the Meta Quest 3, thanks to a split design separating the battery pack from the lens housing.
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