Steam Frame reviews could be imminent after massive backend update spotted for Valve’s VR headset
Surely it's not long now until the Steam Frame pre-order date
😮 Valve has deployed a huge backed update for the Steam Frame
🤔 We now have references to the headset’s guided tour and numerous localizations and UI polishes
👀 It’s assumed these are being rolled out for press reviews first, suggesting the headset could be in the hands of journalists and influencers very soon
📆 If that is the case, we may well see coverage in mid-August, assuming the same two-week window Valve allowed for Steam Controller and Steam Machine reviews
Valve has recently deployed a huge backend update for the Steam Frame that suggest reviews for the device are imminent.
As Steam Hardware Updates on X has noted, we’ve now got references for the Steam Frame’s guided tour with specific setup instructions for playspace boundaries, plus the fact it isn’t considered a work in progress anymore.
Insider Bradley Lynch, AKA SadlyItsBradley, noted that all of these localizations and UI polishes were also pushed to the Steam Frame’s Steam client for the first time.
He suggests that it’s likely these updates would be pushed for “Press Reviews first”, suggesting products could be in the hands of journalists and influencers very soon.
If the same timeframe is taken for the Steam Frame as it was for Steam Controller and Steam Machine reviews, then it allows two weeks with the device, which could suggest an announcement for the Steam Frame pre-order or price in the middle of August to coincide with review coverage.
This all comes at a time when Valve hasn’t stopped delivering backend updates for the Steam Frame over several weeks now, as it readies the product for its full release, with this latest update a huge step forward.
We’ve been anticipating a Steam Frame pre-order announcement for some time now, especially with Valve’s vast array of backend updates for the headset and the huge quantity of devices it has received into its US warehouse.
Valve recently got one of its biggest Steam Frame shipments yet, with nearly two tonnes of headsets and controllers coming into Valve’s US warehouse, as the Steam Hardware Updates account on X had noted.
We also know Valve has been working on the headset’s “Gamepad Mode” with a new SteamVR update, which is designed primarily for using standard gamepads with the headset’s window manager and for playing non-VR games.
We’re also now up to 25 verified games for the new ‘Great on Frame’ category Valve recently launched on Steam too, plus the headset has now received Steamworks support.
With reviews potentially imminent, it looks like we’re approaching the home straight for the Steam Frame’s release date.
Up next: Steam Frame price set to increase as Qualcomm hikes headset chip prices
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.