Steam Frame release date, rumours and everything we know

2026 is set to be a huge year for Valve, as the brand behind Steam and the brilliant Steam Deck is set to launch exciting new additions to its hardware line-up.

There’s the Steam Machine, Steam Controller and, notably, the Steam Frame which is Valve’s first foray into VR headsets. Although Valve is yet to reveal how much the Steam Frame will cost, nor when we’ll be able to get our hands on the headset, its specs have been revealed.

Keep reading to learn more about the upcoming Steam Frame, including its rumoured price and release date to its confirmed tech specs. Make sure you also visit our list of the best game consoles to enhance your gaming set-up. 

Last updated: February 10th 2026 with updates from Valve on pricing and launch date

Steam Frame at a Glance

• Set to launch within the first half of 2026
• Exact launch date and pricing is still yet to be determined by Valve
• Delayed announcements blamed on RAM prices and shortages crisis
• Wireless VR headset
• Available in two sizes: 256GB and 1TB
• Runs on 2024’s mobile flagship processor, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
• Eye-tracking technology
• Powered by SteamOS
• Comes equipped with dual controllers for playing non-VR games

Steam Frame price rumours

Despite announcing the hardware back in November 2025, Valve has still not disclosed how much the Steam Frame, nor any of the upcoming devices, will cost. However, Valve has now addressed this in a recent statement (February 4th) and, as predicted, the ongoing memory shortages are to blame for the lack of information.

Essentially, Valve said that due to the limited availability and rising prices of critical components, the brand needs to “revisit [its] exact shipping schedule and pricing”. So, while Valve had originally expected to have revealed the price and launch date by now, the crisis has delayed this. This perhaps isn’t surprising, as RAM prices have been dominating headlines for the past few weeks, and the lack of update from Valve was starting to raise eyebrows.

It’s worth noting that Valve hasn’t explicitly stated that it needs to increase the price of any upcoming Steam hardware, although of course we didn’t know for sure what the RRP was going to be in the first place. While it’s unavoidable that the Steam Frame will cost more than we hoped, this does remain unconfirmed.

If you’ve been keeping track of the rumours surrounding the Steam Frame, then you’ll likely have seen that listings for the VR headset and the Steam Machine were discovered on a Czech online retailer, Smarty. While there wasn’t any price on the listing, internet sleuths inspected the site and found prices within its code. Seriously. 

As reported by The Mysticle’s YouTube, the Steam Frame was listed for 17900 CZK (256GB) and 21990 CZK (1TB). That roughly converts to around $860 and $1060. Of course, we don’t know whether that was an accurate price in the first place and we definitely don’t know whether the price would remain the same now that Valve has publicly addressed its delayed pricing reveal and need to address the price again. 

Essentially, we’ll simply have to just wait for Valve to determine the pricing strategy and reveal it to us.

Steam Frame release date rumours

When Valve originally unveiled the Steam Frame, the brand said we would expect the new launches in “early 2026”. However, since that initial announcement, there’s been speculation that the ongoing RAM price crisis would delay the hardware. While this was mostly internet rumours, Valve has recently confirmed it did indeed have to revisit its shipping strategy, alongside the price too. 

While Valve has stated that the “goal of shipping all three products [Steam Frame, Steam Machine and Steam Controller] in the first half of the year has not changed”, the brand says that it needs to try to land on concrete pricing and launch dates, although this is difficult as the circumstances surrounding both can change so quickly. 

We appreciate Valve providing this update, but for now it seems we’re no closer to knowing when we can expect the long awaited Steam hardware.

Steam Frame specs

Sure, both the release date and price for the Steam Frame are still at large, but Valve has unveiled all the specs for the upcoming VR headset. While Valve has been careful to caveat that some of the specifications are subject to change ahead of availability, the initial specs are undoubtedly exciting. 

First and foremost, the Steam Frame is a PC and runs SteamOS powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile processor. That means it’s the first of its kind that can handle the entire Steam Library, allowing you to play both VR and non-VR games without needing to connect to your PC. 

Essentially, the headset uses a 6GHz wireless adapter for streaming and dual radios: one for audio and visual streaming and another for connecting to your Wi-Fi.

Plus, the Steam Frame comes equipped with dual controllers which are fitted with all the familiar inputs you need for non-VR games, such as the D-Pad, ABXY, thumbsticks and more. Speaking of the thumbsticks, they’re the same found in the upcoming Steam Controller and are magnetic for improved feel and responsiveness.

The Steam Frame also introduces Foveated Streaming which Valve explains that foveate streaming uses eye tracking data so that the PC only streams high resolution data in the area you’re looking at. As it’s a system-level feature, it applies to all games. The headset also uses eye tracking to ensure the best quality pixels are saved for only where you’re looking, which should theoretically help the Steam Frame run more efficiently too. Even so, it’s worth noting each panel is a 2160 x 2160 LCD too.

Technical specifications aside, the Steam Frame promises to be easy to use with no set-up required. Valve explains the Steam Frame is equipped with four high-res cameras that provide both controller and headset tracking, with infrared LEDs to track in dark environments too.

Finally, if you’re a glasses wearer then you might be wondering whether it’s possible to don the Steam Frame while wearing glasses. Valve has stated that your ability to comfortably wear glasses while the Steam Frame will depend on the width of the frames. However, Valve has teased that it’s “looking into making prescription lens inserts available ahead of launch”, although that’s all the information we have on that.