Steam Frame release date feels closer than ever, as more shipments of Valve’s VR headset arrive
Surely there's not long to wait now
🤔 Valve has received a huge shipment of Steam Frame devices in its latest shipments
🏋️ With three new shipments, it has received around 19,000kg of the device
👍 This takes the total number to 18, which equates to a lot of devices
📈 It suggests Valve is readying a hefty amount of stock in anticipation for a potential pre-order scramble
Shipments of the Steam Frame keep on arriving at Valve’s warehouse, suggesting the release date keeps getting closer with every passing day.
As per Steam Hardware Updates on X, another three shipments of the headset totalling nearly 20 metric tonnes of devices have arrived in Valve’s US warehouse.
This takes the total number of shipments to 18, which means Valve is likely sitting on “tens of thousands of Steam Frame units in box ready for shipment”, according to Steam Hardware Updates, as it keeps getting stock ready for the hotly anticipated Steam Frame pre-order.
Valve has received a steady stream of shipments of the device in recent weeks, similar to the lead-up to both the Steam Controller and the Steam Machine launching. This marks one of its biggest shipments yet, outside of last week’s flurry that took us to 15.
It also received one of its biggest Steam Frame shipments yet, with nearly two metric tonnes of headsets and controllers coming into Valve’s US warehouse in one go, as Steam Hardware Updates had noted previously.
This all points to a launch being very close, it would seem. On that note, the Steam Hardware Updates account stated previously that they expect the wait between the Steam Machine’s release and Steam Frame’s announcement to be shorter than it was for the Steam Controller and the Steam Machine.
For reference, the gap between the Steam Controller announcement and the Steam Machine’s was 49 days (between May 4 and June 22).
The steady run of devices in anticipation of a pre-order comes alongside the immense work Valve is putting in the backend to get the device ready, such as launching a new category for ‘Great on Frame’ games on Steam, which coincides with the games it has certified for the system.
For instance, the likes of Portal 2 – the headset’s first certified game – and Valve’s own VR showcases in Aperture Hand Labs and The Lab have been recommended for users on Steam, alongside the likes of Ancient Dungeons and Titan Isles.
We’re still awaiting any form of concrete, official Steam Frame news from Valve, but all the news points to something coming soon.
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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.