Valve finally put a number on the Steam Frame, and it is higher than the optimists were hoping for. Pre-orders opened September 14 for the standalone SteamOS headset at $1,059 for the 256GB model and $1,299 for the 1TB version, with a randomized reservation lottery deciding who gets into the first batch rather than who refreshed the page fastest. Reviews landed two days later and the early verdict is that the hardware mostly justifies the price. Here is the full pricing breakdown, how the reservation system works, and what the headset actually does.
Pricing and Accessories
Valve's listed prices are inclusive of VAT where applicable.
Headset
- Steam Frame 256GB: $1,059 USD / 1,529 CAD / 1,049 EUR / 889 GBP / 1,609 AUD / 4,539 PLN
- Steam Frame 1TB: $1,299 USD / 1,859 CAD / 1,279 EUR / 1,089 GBP / 1,969 AUD / 5,549 PLN
Each kit includes the Steam Frame Controllers and a Wi-Fi 6E wireless adapter for PC streaming.
First-party accessories
- Power supply: $29 USD / 49 CAD / 39 EUR / 29 GBP / 49 AUD / 139 PLN. Note that this is sold separately, not bundled.
- Ergonomic Accessories Kit: $59 USD. Includes two controller hand straps, two controller hand strap battery doors, a headset top strap, and an extended light blocker.
- Accessory Replacement Kit: $49 USD. Includes a face gasket, head cushion, and light blocker.
The separately sold power supply has drawn the most complaints, since a $1,059 device that needs a $29 add-on to charge is an awkward look.
How the Reservation Lottery Works
Valve is reusing the approach it took with Steam Machine pre-orders. Rather than first come, first served, it ran a randomized reservation lottery designed to make life harder for resellers.
Customers who wanted a shot at the first batch had to sign up for their preferred model between September 14 and September 17 at 10 AM PT. Based on the randomization, Valve emailed sign-ups later on September 17 to tell them whether they made the reservation list or landed on the waitlist. Waitlisted buyers are behind the current supply and will be notified if and when they move into the reservation queue.
Purchase emails for the first batch started going out September 18, which means the earliest units should already be arriving on doorsteps.
What the Hardware Actually Is
Steam Frame is a standalone VR headset running SteamOS, built around a Snapdragon Series 8 Gen 3 mobile chipset. That combination lets it natively run optimized VR titles and a large chunk of the Steam library of flatscreen games without a PC attached at all.
It also streams from a PC over the included Wi-Fi 6E dongle, which is where the headset gets most of its raw horsepower for demanding titles. It is the first VR headset to ship with SteamOS, and Valve has said it is open to bringing the OS to third-party headsets down the line.
One notable gap at launch: Half-Life: Alyx is getting a native standalone build for Frame, but it is not ready yet.
Valve has landed the Steam Frame in the same awkward spot the Steam Deck once occupied, which is to say a genuinely well-considered piece of hardware sold at a price that makes it an enthusiast purchase rather than a mainstream one. The reservation lottery at least means the $1,059 you pay goes to Valve instead of a scalper. Watch for the second reservation wave and for Valve's timeline on the native Alyx build, since that port is the one thing most likely to convince fence-sitters.
What do you think - is $1,059 fair for a standalone SteamOS headset, or is Valve pricing this one out of reach? Come talk about it in the NerdBlocks forum.
