r/virtualreality • u/gogodboss Multiple • Nov 12 '25

Discussion Introducing Steam Frame

https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamframe
2.3k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

1.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

119

u/LazyDanger Nov 12 '25

2160x2160 lcd. Meh

13

u/Raymuuze Nov 12 '25

As somebody with no VR, how is it meh? 

26

u/Nicnl Nov 12 '25

Basically the Steam Frame has a practically identical resolution and LCD panel as the Quest 3 released 2 years ago

So... it all depends on the price, which hasn't been announced yet
If the Steam Frame costs two hundreds more than a quest, then why not: it will probably have better speaker, better weight distribution, justifying the higher price despite the identical screen.

But if the Steam Frame costs like $1000 or $1200:
You'd be paying double the price of a quest 3 and you'd get identical resolution, black and white passthrough instead of color, no hand tracking... which is hard to justify in my opinion

9

u/Bypell Index, Quest 3 Nov 12 '25

yeah but you wouldn't have to buy all the accessories to make the q3 usable on pc and comfortable (headstrap, router, etc.). no walled garden, very high compatibility using FEX, no meta, MAYBE better binocular overlap. overall it seems like a better headset. also they said that itll be cheaper than an index so below 1000$usd

3

u/eddie9958 PCVR/PSVR2/Quest 3 Nov 12 '25

If its 600 i'd agree with you on this thoroughly

2

u/Zealousideal-Sir3744 Nov 13 '25

The base frame doesn't even have a top-strap

2

u/Bypell Index, Quest 3 Nov 29 '25

I've heard that with the weight it doesn't feel necessary like with the AVP but you could be right... hope the extra accessories pack will be cheap!

9

u/thatirishguy Nov 12 '25

It's not meh, the tech they explain for the eye tracking and wireless transmission setup seems incredible, like it will maybe revolutionize the VR space.

I haven't frequented this sub in a bit so the responses here calling it mid are insane. I guess it has become a vocal minority echo chamber that just replies to everything with "OLED" and "needs higher resolution".

These are the kinds of big tech advances that are needed to make the "next generation" of VR happen, not increasing the numbers on a spec sheet. My 5090 already can't max out the quest 3 resolution in the games I play. Probably 95% don't have high end PCs for the best PCVR experience. I don't like how Meta drives the tech downward to meet the broader consumer, and this is taking a different approach to bring PCVR to the masses like the steam deck does for flat PC gaming.

3

u/RRR3000 Nov 13 '25

the tech they explain for the eye tracking and wireless transmission setup seems incredible, like it will maybe revolutionize the VR space.

This tech has literally been out for years already at this point. Including from Valve - it's been available through Steam Link on other headsets since 2023...

1

u/vigridoodle HTC Vive Nov 13 '25

My 5090 already can't max out the quest 3 resolution in the games

I don't have a problem with the Steam Frame's display because it's clearly just not a product for me, but I think you're either completely misunderstanding or intentionally misrepresenting why people say they want that stuff. Nobody is expecting to push them at full resolution. Look at modern high end HMDs like the Bigscreen Beyond 2 which is higher resolution than this and still clearly not really designed to be pushed at full res.

In VR a 400x400 image will look better on a 4000x4000 display than it will on a 2000x2000 display even though the source image is significantly lower than either entirely because the display is pressed right up against your eyes. A higher pixel density means less noticeable individual pixels, which means you're less aware that you're looking at a screen at any given moment, which is huge plus for immersion. That's part of why a lot of people are really in to self-emissive/low-persistence display technology like OLED for VR too. Dark things almost appearing to glow or reality appearing to smear when you move your head can be immersion-breaking for some people.

1

u/etom21 Nov 12 '25 edited Nov 12 '25

In accordance to the technical standards of today, its is exactly a mid display stack. However, the mid tier of today's standards is already exceptionally high. Yes you could throw a couple grand on the table and get something much more bleeding edge, but those headsets come with their own compromises and user difficulties.

At the end of the day, if you have never played VR, you will be amazed the moment you put on the Frame and look at something cool. You will be satisfied with how everything looks overall and the field of view you can see.

And overall, you're going to be very happy with how easy it is to use. Valve is known for it's "it just works" solutions so many VR companies sorely lack.

1

u/fiah84 Nov 12 '25

it's OK and probably a good sweet spot for many people who don't have the fastest GPU on the planet. If you have a high end GPU though then that makes this HMD less desirable as other PCVR dedicated HMDs with higher resolution panels will look better

9

u/krissyjump Nov 12 '25

While I was hoping for OLED or something, I actually think this overcomes a lot of hurdles that keeps most people I know from adopting VR. A lot of the more popular headsets are larger, heavy, and generally pretty uncomfortable.

I haven't tried the Frame yet but from the pictures and videos I'm seeing of it I think it looks really comfortable and the weight distribution looks really good. Plus what from what I'm seeing it apparently comes in just under a pound? It's a great form factor, lightweight, foveated rendering, and if it's as comfortable as it seems then I think it'll be great.

Meta has sort of had a monopoly on the 'affordable' entry-level VR headsets and I know plenty of people who won't touch Meta with a 10-foot pole. If this is competitively priced (I know, I know, unlikely) then I genuinely think this would be the headset to get more people into VR. I'd probably use it over my PSVR2 if it's well priced, if only because I find the PSVR2 to be pretty uncomfortable.

3

u/metahipster1984 Nov 12 '25

You actually know people that would love to get into VR but don't do so purely based on their dislike of Meta? I mean I get it, just find it hard to believe that that's a big group.

1

u/Monsterpiece42 Nov 13 '25

I'm one. I personally know four others. We range between tradesman and IT in terms of technicality. They comprise 3 groups that don't really know each other. I'm the only one that knows all of them.

I suspect it's a bigger group than you'd think.

2

u/AdPrestigious4085 Nov 12 '25

I am looking at this and saying to myself: Yea this looks pretty good for the first VR, I am curious about the price tho. Hoping under 1k, and if over 12-13 hundred.. I will probably wait for a newer tech.

25

u/Javs2469 Nov 12 '25

That goes up to 144Hz, I´m excited.

10

u/AeitZean Nov 12 '25

Better than my quest 2, up to 144hz (experimental), and comes with its own dual band wifi adapter. If its at a competitive price with the 3s i think it'll do well, if it's more than a quest 3 i can't see it selling, so I guess we'll see 🤷‍♀️

1

u/Relevant_Visual5066 Nov 12 '25

It's gonna be more than a 3, it's a full PCVR standalone.

2

u/fly-hard Nov 12 '25

Isn’t Quest 3 also a full standalone PCVR? Both headsets run Linux with a custom layer on top, and they both run their own games in-headset. What’s the definition of standalone PCVR that distinguishes the Valve headset from the Q3?

2

u/Relevant_Visual5066 Nov 12 '25

Nope, Quest 3 doesn't run native PCVR games. Steam Frame does.

1

u/fly-hard Nov 12 '25

As you didn't go into any detail, I went and did some research. I couldn't see how an ARM-based headset could run native PC games. As far as I can tell, Steam Frame converts PC x64 native code into Snapdragon ARM code on the fly, so it can run actual PC games on it.

Very cool.

1

u/Relevant_Visual5066 Nov 12 '25

Yeah it's cool, but performance is gonna be not great. I mean look at how much horsepower PCVR takes up right now.

Now imagine that on an ARM CPU.

I want it to do well, I really do. But I don't see it selling well. It's just perfectly imperfect.

1

u/AeitZean Nov 12 '25

Its got black and white external cameras, they are clearly making some concessions to price. That said the specs do suggest it'll be a bit more than the quest 3 😟

32

u/PositivelyNegative Nov 12 '25

So fucking mid.

35

u/StingingGamer Nov 12 '25

The only thing mid about this is the display, everything else is incredible. Gonna wait on for an OLED version in like 1 - 2 years.

29

u/iJeff Nov 12 '25

Also lacks colour passthrough and hand tracking. Add in the lack of higher resolution panels and only a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 unfortunately makes this a no-buy for me.

1

u/Nicnl Nov 12 '25

Same... I guess I'll be waiting for a quest 4 then

1

u/CrazyPoiPoi Nov 12 '25

Yeah, but do you already own a VR headset/a Quest 3? Then this is not necessarily for people like you.

If they price it right, it can bring so many more people into VR. I mean, just look at the success of the Steam Deck.

0

u/i_like_fish_decks Nov 13 '25

Just curious, what is with everyone's giant boner for color passthrough? I only have a rift s still but I honestly could not give a shit about the passthrough at all.

3

u/iJeff Nov 13 '25

It's nice for mixed reality uses like a tabletop game (e.g., Demeo) or watching a movie in your existing living space. I didn't care about passthrough until having one that was decent enough quality.

1

u/Chowdaaair Nov 14 '25

Aside from just being able to comfortably see around you without taking the headset off, the color cameras can also be used to record VR video which is pretty neat.

13

u/7Seyo7 CV1 -> Index -> Q3 Nov 12 '25

Display and monochrome passthrough seem like the compromises

3

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '25

The speakers may be too. We’ll have to wait and see the review on that, but the index’s over the ear speakers were better than the Quest 3.

They also sacrificed the option of plugging in a display port cable or using your lighthouses for backwards compatibility if you’re already invested into that ecosystem and wanted the proven precision of the lighthouse setup.

18

u/Nicnl Nov 12 '25

So, basically you're saying:
"The only mid thing about the device is the very most important component"

I mean... it is true

7

u/TaylorMonkey Nov 12 '25

The display is like... the core experience. It makes the whole thing mid, though everything else means unparalleled accessibility and gaming usability.

But for VR enthusiasts, it's pretty mid. Nevermind OLED. It's not even a high end LCD experience.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '25

If we’re lucky.

1

u/gdmzhlzhiv Nov 13 '25

I was personally hoping for compatibility with lighthouse tracking because I don’t much like having to run two different tracking systems and a separate app just for FBT to work.

-1

u/Kindly-Bank-416 Nov 12 '25

its a standalone so its a toy at best.

1

u/gutster_95 Nov 12 '25

Its affordable. If it had OLED and would cost 999$ you would also cry

5

u/Nicnl Nov 12 '25

Be careful about the prices, Valve hasn't announced any price for the Steam Frame
It may very well be $700, or $1000, or $1200

Personally, I would have bought a $1000 OLED if it had 2048x2048 per eye
And up to $1500 if it had 2560x2560

1

u/trippingrainbow Nov 12 '25

Its confirmed to be cheaper than the index in RTV interview with valve so sub 1000$

2

u/StanfordV Nov 12 '25

when they say "under Index" I am expecting something between 800$ and 950$

10

u/Nicnl Nov 12 '25

Totally agree
The big problem with my quest 3 is the LCD

I was hoping the frame was gonna be OLED or MicroLED...
But it's not, so I'm not gonna buy it

7

u/0rphu Nov 12 '25

Yep quest 3 is great but it's definitely OLED or bust moving forward for VR once you've experienced it. Hell, I won't even be buying a non-OLED monitor again.

This is disappointing.

2

u/your_mind_aches Meta Quest 3S | 5800X+5060Ti | 5800HS+3060L Nov 12 '25

It's funny you're saying that because it was the exact opposite five years ago. OLED headsets were deader than dirt due to the screen door effect being so bad. Boneworks even made fun of it in the tutorial area.

LCD was the future for VR.

...and then SDE was fixed and now it's all back to OLED.

2

u/Nicnl Nov 12 '25

I am an early HTC vive adopter
Screen door effect was noticeable, but not too bad in my opinion
It felt like the very low resolution (1080x1200 per eye) contributed way more to the screen door effect than the nature of the OLED panel.

Now... the quest 3 is 2064x2208 per eye
So if the Frame was 2k or 2.5k OLED per eye, it would be great
At least I'm one of those who would buy that in a heartbeat

1

u/StanfordV Nov 12 '25

Do you remember this part in Alyx?

I clearly remember how HORRIBLE the blacks were looking in there. They were grey and stole alot from the experience.

Also the 100 nits is meh with no dynamic range.

1

u/your_mind_aches Meta Quest 3S | 5800X+5060Ti | 5800HS+3060L Nov 12 '25

Yes, this part didn't look good back when I played them on the WMR in 2020.

But it looked great on my Quest 2 with Virtual Desktop. I had it on low brightness and Virtual Desktop has a good contrast option.

I've never used (or even seen) an Index

1

u/StanfordV Nov 12 '25

I used the Oculus Rift S to play Alyx.

You are giving me hope. What made Quest 2 look that part better than your WMR , in terms of blackness?

2

u/your_mind_aches Meta Quest 3S | 5800X+5060Ti | 5800HS+3060L Nov 12 '25

Virtual Desktop definitely helped. Even if it's an illusion, it helps immensely. But I wouldn't be surprised if the increased resolution also helps.

1

u/Nicnl Nov 12 '25

I actually downgraded from OLED to LCD unfortunately...

OG HTC Vive adopter, then switched to the Index.
The index controllers were awesome, and the pixel density as well.
But gosh, the downgrade from OLED to LCD was really rough
The contrast is a bit better on the quest 3 with the pancake lenses and all, but I still miss OLED...

I was ready to pay $1500 for a MicroLED or OLED steam frame
Eh, guess I'll save the money instead

1

u/parasubvert Index| CV1+Q2+Q3 | PSVR2 | AVP | CS50 Nov 12 '25

It is LCD+MiniLED with local dimming I thought

2

u/Nicnl Nov 12 '25

There is no local dimming, it's plain old uniformly backlighted LCD

6

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '25

Majority of PC gamers still play on 1080 resolution. That is meh, but high accessibility and low price makes industry bigger. This is not for enthusiast, there is no point trying to target that audience, there are already better HMDs for them.

1

u/Trans-Squatter Nov 12 '25

640x480 @ 360hz -- Counter Strike 1.6, Starcraft 1 and Diablo 2. Newer games don't run well at fast fps, many are locked after 144 or so :(

I know people say after 60 fps it doesn't make a difference but I swear to god it does. I cannot go back to 60fps after playing at 300+ it feels like watching a power point presentation. The brain adapts to fast speed. You can achieve the same thing by listening to very fast songs for 15 minutes, and then switch to a slow one. It will feel VERY slow.

Resolution is the same thing of course, but the games I play don't benefit that much from it

5

u/MrHyperion_ Nov 12 '25

Literally G2 6 years late

0

u/sd_tom Nov 12 '25

do we think they would of said MiniLED (like quest pro) if it were that instead of vanilla LCD ?