Linus Tech Tips accidentally published its Steam Frame unboxing and review on the Short Circuit channel before Valve lifted its embargo, and the internet moved fast enough that most copies of the video have already been pulled. We didn’t get to see it ourselves before it came down, but plenty of details made it out in screenshots and recaps, so here are the ten things that stood out to us.
What’s in the box
Every Steam Frame is set to ship with a 6GHz wireless dongle, which should make streaming from a PC noticeably simpler than fiddling with cables or router settings. It also comes with its own 45-watt power supply, the same wattage as the brick that ships with Steam Deck, so there’s no need to go hunting for a separate charger. Storage starts at 256GB and scales up to 1TB, and there’s a microSD slot for anyone who wants to expand further, though it’s apparently built into the headset’s strap rather than the frame itself.
The ergonomic kit costs extra
Valve is selling a separate ergonomics accessories kit for $60, which reportedly bundles an additional head strap and controller straps. It doesn’t look like this is included with the standard Steam Frame purchase, so anyone who wants the improved fit will need to budget for it separately. $60 on top of the headset’s price is a tough pill to swallow for what amounts to straps, and we’d guess plenty of buyers will wait to see reviews on whether it’s worth it before adding it to their cart.
Comfort and passthrough impressions were mixed
Comfort has been one of the most talked-about selling points for Steam Frame, so it was surprising to see the headset described as awkward to wear in this leak, with an ill-fitting nose piece and light leaking in around the edges. That’s a notably different take from most of the impressions we’ve heard so far, and it’s worth keeping in mind that fit can vary a lot from person to person. The video also reportedly showed off the passthrough camera feed for the first time, and it comes through with a blue tint rather than full color. It’s apparently still sharp enough to walk around a room safely, just don’t expect it to look like reality.
A standalone Half-Life: Alyx may be in the works
Perhaps the most interesting nugget to come out of this leak is that Valve appears to be working on a standalone version of Half-Life: Alyx for Steam Frame. Nothing suggests it’s locked in as a launch title, but the idea makes a lot of sense: it’s a proven VR showcase, and putting it on hardware built around wireless portability would be a strong way to demonstrate what the headset can do without a PC attached. We’ll believe it when Valve confirms it, but it’s a promising sign for anyone hoping to play Alyx untethered.
PC streaming won’t work on Steam Machine at launch
The biggest surprise from the leak is that streaming from a PC to Steam Frame reportedly won’t work through Steam Machine at launch. That seems to undercut a big part of the pitch for owning both devices together, and it raises questions about why Steam Machine came to market ahead of Steam Frame if this feature wasn’t ready. For now, PC streaming looks like it’ll be limited to Windows machines, with Linux support expected to follow later. It’s not clear yet when Steam Machine will catch up, but it sounds like it won’t be there on day one.
That’s everything that jumped out at us from this leak. Take it all as unofficial until Valve says otherwise, but if even half of these details hold up, Steam Frame is shaping up to be a genuinely interesting piece of hardware. Let us know which of these surprised you most.
