A broken clock is finally right – after months of leaks and speculation, Valve has finally debuted the Steam Frame, a brand new VR headset that takes a swing at the current king (Meta Quest 3) in a big way.
The new headset boasts some impressive specs, potentially world-class software support and a design that could make it the all-day headset that the Samsung Galaxy XR and Apple Vision Pro wish they could be.
Specifications: Steam Frame is the clear winner
Overall, the Valve headset is an upgrade on Meta Quest 3, with the Steam Frame either matching or beating the Meta in (almost) every metric.
Valve’s challenger boasts 16GB instead of 8GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage instead of topping out at 512GB. And while the smaller storage frame model is only 256GB, it has an SD slot so you can expand its storage), plus a “4nm Snapdragon ARM processor.”
The Meta Quest 3’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 fits that description, but Valve’s decision not to name the chipset suggests it’s opting for something newer — perhaps an unannounced XR2 Gen 3.
You’ll also find that the optics and visuals should be on par between the two, as both devices boast pancake optics and an LCD display setup with a resolution of 2,160 x 2,160 pixels per pixel. eye (Meta Quest 3’s is a slightly different 2,064 x 2,208 per eye). Both also offer a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz – the Steam Frame can actually push itself to 144Hz with an experimental setting.
The most obvious downgrade on the Steam Frame, however, is the return to monochrome camera review (in other words, black and white rather than full color). That means the Frame will be primarily a virtual reality headset, not the mixed reality thing that Meta, Samsung, Apple and others have focused on in recent years.
During the early days of MR, this wouldn’t be a bad thing, and in fairness most notable MR games also offer effective VR modes, but it feels like a surprising tweak to what feels like a stable headset formula in 2025. However, Valve has also teased a “user-accessible expansion port” which leaves the door open to the possibility of an additional color module at full price.
Software: Finally a true Meta rival?
I’ve said it before and don’t know if I’ll ever stop saying it: Meta has excellent software in HorizonOS. This has meant it has the best access to apps and games among standalone headsets. The only rival that came close as a VR platform is Steam, but it hasn’t been a standalone platform… until now.
The Steam Framework runs on SteamOS – the same as the Steam Deck and the new Steam Engine – and could be the step a Meta rival has needed. There’s no need to include caveats here, as I’ve had to do with Android XR and visionOS – we know that SteamOS has a wide catalog of VR and non-VR applications ready to go, and that library will only continue to grow.
Combine that with the Steam Frame’s built-in wireless direct-to-PC adapter for wireless PCVR gaming, and you’ve got a machine that I really think Meta should care about from a software perspective – especially if the much-rumored new Steam exclusives see the light of day.
Design: Frame is a real all-day headset
Design-wise, VR headsets are a lot of a lot. We don’t yet have exact battery life details for the Steam Frame to compare it to the Meta Quest 3, but I’m concerned it might be shorter because the frame is much lighter than its rival: it weighs 435g compared to 515g.
What’s more, Valve describes it as having a “modular design” with weight details specifically listing the weight without the battery strap at just 190g. This is most likely because the strap is removable just like on the HTC Vive XR Elite, which allows the frame to be used as a pair of VR goggles, provided you plug it directly into a power source.
If so, this wouldn’t just be a Quest 3 killer, this is an alt killer.
Forget lugging around a large Samsung Galaxy XR or Apple Vision Pro at your desk all day for XR productivity complete with a multi-monitor setup. If the Steam Frame boasts a sophisticated XR desktop layout in its 190g form – heck even in its 435g form – I don’t see why you’d go for anything else (especially given its versatility in other areas as a standalone VR machine).
Price: At what price?
The main question yet to be answered is the price: Valve hasn’t told us how much a Steam Frame will cost.
Looking at the specs, I can assure you it will cost more than a Meta Quest 3, and leaks support that assessment.
It’s tipped to cost $1,200 (about £915 / AU$1,830). That would squeeze it between the Meta Quest 3 ($499.99 / £469.99 / AU$1,049.99) and the Samsung Galaxy ($1,799, availability and pricing for other regions TBC), and it feels right.
The Steam Frame has more RAM than the Quest 3 and probably a better chipset, as well as eye-tracking sensors that we only see in more premium headsets. But it also doesn’t offer the ultra-crisp OLED panels of the Galaxy XR, instead opting for screens comparable to the Meta’s headset.
The Steam framework costing more than Quest 3 isn’t inherently bad.
As I’ve highlighted, the Steam Frame has solid hardware, and a standalone SteamOS has the markings of a truly viable HorizonOS alternative. On paper, it looks like it could be the very best VR headset for gamers and people who want a great, higher-end option.
However, the Meta Quest 3 looks set to retain its title as the mid-range/budget king, with the Meta Quest 3S an even more enticing and affordable proposition for many.
Early verdict: the exciting VR headset we needed
Right now it’s impossible to declare a ‘winner’, but the Steam Frame may well be the most exciting VR headset we’ve seen in some time.
If Valve can stick the landing, everyone in the XR space should be worried. The only potential downside is that a higher price could limit Steam Frame’s appeal excessively, leaving Meta Quest 3 as the reigning champion.
It’s an exciting time in the XR space, and Steam Frame’s 2026 launch can’t come soon enough.
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