When UploadVR visited Valve headquarters to try out Steam Frame, we heard comments that echoed Google and Apple’s strategy.
Galaxy XR has an APK for that, and Apple Vision Pro has thousands of iPad apps available from day one. Meanwhile, Steam Frame’s verified programs are ready to help you realize the value of Steam wherever you are. Currently, most VR headsets can only be used on a Windows PC at any given time, but the time is coming when your Steam deck, iPhone, iPad, or Nintendo Switch will become even more useful companions in VR.
Valve’s trade-offs in Steam Frame’s modular design have many potential buyers worried about the details. Developers are still reeling from the transition from Quest to Horizon, and the meta has changed strategy again, releasing games like Civilization VII and Vampire Survivor in VR along the way. Developers considering Android XR and visionOS are wondering what they can build in the space between fully immersive VR apps and traditional flatscreen content.
Regarding Valve, I asked about ideas like “spatial computing” and “mixed reality” that are being promoted elsewhere. Neither concept is actually present in Valve’s initial Steam Frame, which had a black-and-white passthrough, but it’s very possible that it senses add-ons through the nose port.
When asked about the focus of Steam’s first eponymous headset, Valve’s Jeremy Selan said:
“As a strong Index user, and someone who has spent most of my adult life in VR and the Vive, when I think about playing VR, I have to make an intentional choice. So here’s what I do: You know what? I want to play VR. So I go to the room where my PC and base station are and start playing it. But sometimes, when I’m in another room, I’m on the deck and the Vive. And I think that selection is one of the most frictional bits left.”Certainly, it’s SteamOS, so when you put it on, you expect to be able to jump right into a game without having to set up a base station, but you put the headset on and you’re presented with the Steam catalog where you can choose a VR game or a non-VR game right in front of you. “The lines between VR content and non-VR content are really blurring, because they should just be games, and you need a device to enjoy them. And this is our first attempt.”
A review of Steam Frame is planned for 2026, and we’ll keep you updated. For more information, check out our nearly three-hour discussion from the day of the headset’s announcement.
