Steam Frame pre-order guide: how to reserve Valve’s VR headset when the time comes
We have a good idea of the process by now
👉 Valve could implement a randomized reservation queue for Steam Frame pre-orders
👏 It did so for the Steam Machine pre-order and Steam Controller restock as a fairer way of getting hardware into the right hands
👍 To get a Steam Frame, your account will need to be in good standing and you’ll have needed to have made a purchase before a certain date
🙏 You may need to register interest in a specific model and then wait to be picked for a place in line
We’re anticipating that the Steam Frame, Valve’s long-awaited next VR headset, is going up for pre-order soon – as and when it does, here’s how you should be able to get your hands on one.
Using the Steam Machine as a guide, we have an idea of what Valve will do when it comes to Steam Frame pre-orders.
To prevent headsets from getting into the wrong hands, it’s likely Valve will implement a reservation system in a similar vein to the Steam Machine’s pre-order and the Steam Controller restock.
This means you’ll be able to sign up for the model or bundle you’re interested in, and once a certain date has passed, a onetime randomization will determine the reservation and waitlist order.
Why is there a reservation queue for the Steam Frame?
This was deemed a fairer process for the Steam Machine, and should mean the hardware gets into the right hands. Valve has said previously that it underestimated the demand for the Steam Controller when it first launched, which was snapped up by bots and scalpers, people with fast internet connections and similar things as listings went live at a certain time.
By offering a more staggered approach, its idea is to get hardware into the right hands, with extra validations on accounts – with both the Steam Controller restock and Steam Machine pre-order, Valve required your account to be in good standing, and you’ll need to have made a purchase before the end of April, 2026. If the Steam Frame is the same as the Machine, the headset will be limited to one per household.
Check your emails
Based on the determined reservation order, you’ll either then receive one of two emails: one that says you’ve been added to the reservation queue with a Steam Frame in your name, or that you’re on the waitlist.
For the former, as units become available, people in the queue will receive an email with a link to purchase.
We’re anticipating the Steam Frame to launch in a few short weeks, according to insider Brad Lynch, who noted a similar launch timeline to the Steam Machine with the state of Valve’s internal prep for getting the device ready to go.
Valve is undertaking extensive backend work ahead of the headset’s official release, as it did with the Steam Machine and Steam Controller, plus there has been a steady stream of shipments of the device in recent weeks, suggesting we’re very close to the long-awaited release date.
Up next: Steam Frame’s first virtual environment revealed – and Valve Index owners will feel right at home
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.