By It’s been a busy week for Steam Frame news. A leak suggests Valve is already working on an OLED version of the headset, the Valve Index is on its way out, the latest Steam Frame update is causing charging problems for some owners, and the Ergonomic Kit is back in stock, with a catch.
A Steam Frame OLED is in the works
According to a leak, Valve is working on a mid-generation refresh of the Steam Frame, code-named Plano, and the headline change is a new pair of displays. The panels have a resolution of 3552 x 3840 per eye and appear to be OLED. They run at 90Hz, although Valve has reportedly been experimenting with getting 120Hz working. The details come from the Steam Frame’s kernel source code, which was recently made public, and it points to the same display used in the Samsung Galaxy XR.
I’m honestly not sure how to feel about this one. It reminds me of the Steam Deck, which launched with an LCD and got an OLED model roughly two years later. I don’t expect a Steam Frame OLED to arrive any time soon, more like a year and a half to two years out. That will still be hard to hear for anyone sitting on the reservation list who won’t get their Steam Frame until next year. I’d much rather Valve focus on getting the current headset shipped out to everyone who’s waiting before turning its attention to an OLED model.
Valve is ending Valve Index production
If you were still eyeing a Valve Index, it looks like Valve is stopping production of it. That makes sense with the Steam Frame now out, as Valve will want people buying the new headset rather than the Index. If you already own an Index, I’m curious whether you’ll be moving over to the Steam Frame.
The 0.4.5 update is causing charging issues
A warning for Steam Frame owners: the latest 0.4.5 update appears to be causing problems with charging and battery. One Reddit user reported that the update broke USB-C PD charging on their headset, and plenty of others on Reddit seem to be running into the same issue. Their workaround was to switch to a lower-wattage charger, which got the Steam Frame charging again. If you’re affected too, it may be worth trying a lower-watt charger until a fix arrives.
The Ergonomic Kit is back in stock, but not for everyone
There’s good news and bad news for anyone wanting the Ergonomic Kit. The good news is that it’s back in stock, at least in the United States. The bad news is that it’s only available to people who bought their Steam Frame from the Steam store, so if you got yours elsewhere, you can’t purchase it.
Final thoughts
An OLED Steam Frame is exciting to think about, but right now the priority should be getting the current headset into people’s hands and sorting out the charging problems from the latest update. Let us know in the comments what you make of the OLED leak, whether you’re moving on from the Index, and if the 0.4.5 update has affected your charging.