By It’s been a big week for the Steam Frame. Valve has pushed the headset’s first SteamOS update, there’s a launch bundle of verified VR games, the first charging dock has appeared on Amazon, a new tool makes sideloading Android apps easier, the first batch of pre-orders is being packaged, and the color passthrough camera is now up for pre-order. Here’s the rundown.
SteamOS 0.3.0 brings faster charging and graphics improvements
The first SteamOS update built for the Steam Frame is out, and the headline change is substantially faster charging while the unit is off or sleeping. Controller tracking is also improved while haptics are active, system stability and reliability under high load has been improved, and a bug that caused garbled audio on the microphone has been fixed.
On the UX side, the per-app Motion Smoothing “Force Always-On” setting was being ignored and now works as intended, and motion smoothing behaviour in Half-Life: Alyx has been improved. A new VR Settings control lets you dim games when the dashboard is visible, and the Play Area page in VR Settings no longer automatically shows the bounds.
For developers, the Playable performance criteria now allow any resolution instead of being tied to 1440p. There are also Vulkan layer fixes to improve game compatibility, along with multiple improvements to overall system and graphics performance.
It’s neat to see Valve targeting SteamOS updates specifically at the Steam Frame. I expected the headset to simply receive the same SteamOS update as the Steam Machine and the Steam Deck, so a dedicated release is a great sign, and I hope there are plenty more to come.
A Steam Frame Verified bundle for launch
To mark the release of the Steam Frame, Valve is hosting a bundle called Best on Steam Frame Verified. It packs in 11 must-play VR experiences and is currently 24% off at $107. Cubism is one to look out for, especially if you have the color passthrough accessory. If you’re after a quick way to see what the new headset can do, it’s a solid place to start.
First accessories and easier sideloading
With the Steam Frame officially announced, accessories are starting to show up, and the first charging dock for the headset is now listed on Amazon. It’s 23% off at $45. I’ll be picking one up to test, and it will be interesting to see whether other accessory makers release something similar. We plan to gather a range of accessories and test them so you know which are worth buying.
I’m also excited about bringing APKs, or Android apps, to the Steam Frame. A new application called FrameDrop makes sideloading them much easier, and I can’t wait to try it out and see how the process works in practice.
Pre-orders are being packaged
The first batch of Steam Frame orders is already being packaged, which means shipments should start very soon, possibly as early as Monday. We were lucky enough to get a pre-order in ourselves, and it’s great to see Valve moving quickly. Hopefully we’ll have the headset in hand soon to review it and put together some guides.
Arcturus Vision Camera brings color passthrough
This one is a little older, but it’s worth flagging in case you missed it. The color passthrough accessory, the Arcturus Vision Camera, is now available to pre-order for $150. Right now it’s the only accessory available that adds color passthrough to the Steam Frame, and it looks premium and sleek. What stands out most is how quickly it became available, with pre-orders open essentially on launch day. I expected this to take much longer to appear.
What’s next
Between a dedicated SteamOS update, a verified-games bundle, the first dock and a much easier route for sideloading, the Steam Frame ecosystem is filling out fast. We’ll be covering the headset closely as shipments begin.