How the Steam Frame compares to other VR headsets
Valve has officially unveiled the Steam Frame, an innovative standalone VR headset that distinguishes itself from the competition with its dual functionality: it can stream games from a PC and also play games locally thanks to its onboard Arm chip. This marks a significant departure from Valve’s previous model, the Index, which required a wired connection to a gaming PC. The Steam Frame enters a competitive market, positioning itself alongside major players like the Meta Quest 3, Samsung Galaxy XR, and Apple Vision Pro. Notably, the Frame’s standout feature is its seamless game streaming capability, enabled by a wireless dongle that connects to your PC. During a hands-on session at Valve’s headquarters, users reported virtually no lag while playing titles like *Half-Life: Alyx*, showcasing the headset’s impressive low-latency performance.
In addition to streaming, the Steam Frame is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, allowing it to run SteamOS natively. This capability means that users can play a wide array of games directly on the headset, including those designed for Windows, through real-time emulation. However, Valve has advised developers to target lower performance levels than they would for the Steam Deck, as the emulation process may introduce some performance issues. For instance, while testing games like *Hollow Knight: Silksong* and *Hades II*, some users experienced stutters that are atypical for the Steam Deck. Valve is actively working to refine the performance before the headset’s planned release in early 2026.
While Valve has yet to announce a specific price for the Steam Frame, they aim to offer it at a cost lower than that of the Index, which retailed for $999. In comparison, the Meta Quest 3 starts at $499.99, while the Samsung Galaxy XR and Apple Vision Pro are priced at $1,799.99 and $3,499, respectively. With its competitive features and pricing strategy, the Steam Frame could potentially redefine the VR landscape, appealing to a broad audience of gamers eager for a versatile and powerful headset. As Valve continues to refine the device ahead of its launch, anticipation is building around how it will stack up against existing VR offerings and whether it can deliver on its promise of an immersive gaming experience.
Valve just announced the Steam Frame, a new standalone VR headset that can both stream games from a PC and play games locally thanks to an onboard Arm chip. The headset is quite a bit different from Valve’s previous model, the Index, which had to be tethered to a gaming computer with a physical wire. But it also stands out from a lot of other major VR headsets on the market right now, like the Meta Quest 3, Samsung Galaxy XR, and Apple Vision Pro.
A big way the Frame separates itself from the pack is its focus on streaming your games. That’s all made possible thanks to a wireless dongle that comes with every Frame: plug it into your PC, and you can stream both your flat and VR games to the headset over a low-latency connection. I got to try the streaming for myself at Valve’s headquarters while playing
Half-Life: Alyx
, and I didn’t notice any discernible lag.
Category
Steam Frame
Meta Quest 3
Apple Vision Pro
Samsung Galaxy XR
Colors
Black
White
Silver
Silver
Weight (grams)
185g (core unit), 440g (with head strap that adds audio and rear battery)
515g
750–800g (depending on light seal and headband configuration)
545g, though weight may vary if you wear the light shield or not
OS
SteamOS
Meta Horizon OS
visionOS
Android XR
Lenses
Pancake
Pancake
Pancake
Pancake
Screen type
LCD
LCD
micro-OLED
micro-OLED
Resolution
2160 x 2160 per eye
2064 x 2208 per eye
3660 x 3200 per eye
4K per eye
Refresh rate
72-144Hz refresh rate (144Hz experimental)
72Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz
90Hz, 96Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz
60Hz, 72Hz (default), up to 90Hz
Processor
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
Apple M5 chip
Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2
FOV
Up to 110 degrees
Up to 100 degrees horizontal and 96 degrees vertical
Estimated to be
about 100 degrees
109 degrees horizontal and 100 degrees vertical
RAM
16GB unified LPDDR5 RAM
8GB
16GB,
reportedly
16GB
Storage
256GB / 1TB UFS storage options, microSD card slot
512GB
256GB, 512GB, 1TB
256GB
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 7, includes dedicated Wi-Fi 6E adapter for low-latency streaming games
Wi-Fi 6E
Wi‑Fi 6
Wi-Fi 7
Tracking, passthrough, and sensors
4 outward-facing monochrome cameras for
controller and headset tracking, 2 interior cameras for eye tracking, outward IR illuminator
2 RGB cameras with 18 PPD for full-color passthrough
2 high‑resolution main cameras, 6 world‑facing tracking cameras, 4 eye‑tracking cameras, TrueDepth camera, LiDAR Scanner, 4 inertial measurement units (IMUs), flicker sensor, ambient light sensor
2 high-resolution passthrough cameras, 6 world-facing tracking cameras, 4 eye-tracking cameras, 5 Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), depth sensor, flicker sensor
Eye tracking
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Battery capacity
21.6Wh
19.44Wh
Up to 2.5 hours of “general use”
Up to 2 hours of “general usage”
Starting price
TBA
$499.99
$3,499.00
$1,799.99
Availability
Early 2026
October 2023
October 2025
October 2025
You can also play games right on the Frame itself because Valve has gotten SteamOS working on Arm; the headset is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. Other headsets can play games locally, too — typically games built specifically for their respective platforms. But the Frame is actually able to run Windows x86 code and recompile it in real time using an emulator, meaning that a vast amount of the Steam library will be playable directly on the headset without you or any developers having to do anything.
That said, you shouldn’t expect to be able to play high-end games locally on the Frame. Valve designer Lawrence Yang tells
The Verge
that developers should target lower performance than they would for a game on Steam Deck. The Frame’s real-time emulation could affect performance; while playing
Hollow Knight: Silksong
and
Hades II
on the headset, both of which are relatively lower-end games, I saw some stutters that I never see on my Steam Deck. (According to Valve hardware engineer Jeremy Selan, this was a bug and the company expects to make improvements leading up to and after launch.)
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Valve isn’t sharing a price just yet, but hardware engineer Gabe Rowe did tell
The Verge
that the company is aiming for a cost that’s less than the Index. Meta’s Quest 3 costs $499.99, while the Samsung Galaxy XR and Apple Vision Pro — two headsets that have higher-resolution micro-OLED displays and sensors that support color passthrough — cost $1,799.99 and $3,499, respectively. If you’re curious how that all compares to the outgoing Index, we’ve whipped up a comparison below; Valve sold the Index for $999 with the necessary controllers and base stations.
Category
Steam Frame
Valve Index
Colors
Black
Black
Weight (grams)
185g (core unit), 440g (with head strap that adds audio and rear battery)
809g
OS
SteamOS
N/A
Lenses
Pancake
Fresnel
Screen type
LCD
LCD
Resolution
2160 x 2160 per eye
1440 x 1600 per eye
Refresh rate
72–144Hz refresh rate (144Hz experimental)
80/90/120, 144Hz experimental
Processor
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
N/A
FOV
Up to 110 degrees
Up to 130 degrees
RAM
16GB unified LPDDR5 RAM
N/A
Storage
256GB / 1TB UFS storage options, microSD card slot
N/A
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 7, includes dedicated Wi-Fi 6E adapter for low-latency streaming games
Must connect headset to PC via DisplayPort, plug cameras to USB 3.0 port, and into a power outlet for power
Tracking and passthrough
4 outward-facing monochrome cameras for
controller and headset tracking, 2 interior cameras for eye tracking, outward IR illuminator
At least one base station for tracking, dual 960 x 960 passthrough cameras
Eye tracking
Yes
No
Battery capacity
21.6Wh
N/A
Starting price
TBA
$499 (standalone), $999 (with controllers and base stations)
Availability
Early 2026
June 2019
Valve is set to release the Steam Frame in early 2026. I recently got to try it at Valve’s headquarters, and I think the company is
on to something
.
