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Valve Launches Steam Frame VR Headset From £889

By Drooid · Sep 14, 2026, 10:15 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Valve Launches Steam Frame

Valve launches the Steam Frame VR headset, priced at £889 (256 GB) and £1,089 (1 TB).
Reservation sign-ups for the Steam Frame use a random-selection system similar to the Steam Machine.
The headset runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with 16 GB RAM, lenses, and eye-tracking for foveated streaming.
Valve attributes the £889–£1,089 price to a RAM surge since October 2025; critics cite Meta Quest 3S’s £250–£320 price as cheaper.

Summary

Joy Lyons Promotes Frame

Joy Lyons says the Steam Frame aims to broaden the market and reverse the VR catalogue decline.
Steam VR releases dropped from the 2017 peak to 481 titles in 2025, a 2% share.
Steam’s August 2026 survey shows Quest 2, Quest 3 and Quest 3S hold over 60% of PC-connected headset market.
Proton, FEX and Lepton enable the Frame to run Windows, x86 and Android games, earning a Standalone Verified badge.

History

Historical Context

In August 2012 Palmer Luckey launched a Kickstarter that raised $2.4 million for the Oculus Rift, with John Carmack showcasing a prototype at E3 that June. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion in March 2014, spurring rivals such as HTC Vive and PlayStation VR. Building on that premium-hardware legacy, Valve announced its 2026 Steam Frame, priced between £889 and £1,089, as the Quest line now dominates the market.

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Valve Launches Steam Frame

Valve launches the Steam Frame VR headset, priced at £889 (256 GB) and £1,089 (1 TB).
Reservation sign-ups for the Steam Frame use a random-selection system similar to the Steam Machine.
The headset runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with 16 GB RAM, lenses, and eye-tracking for foveated streaming.
Valve attributes the £889–£1,089 price to a RAM surge since October 2025; critics cite Meta Quest 3S’s £250–£320 price as cheaper.

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