😲 Eight unboxing and setup videos for the Steam Frame VR headset were accidentally leaked in an ARM Steam Client update on August 19
👀 The headset features an interpupillary distance wheel with a sliding lock to maintain settings and an extended light blocker for improved comfort
🎂 Valve’s 30th anniversary on August 24 is a potential candidate for a release date announcement given the company’s readiness
💰 The Steam Frame is expected to carry a four-figure price tag due to rising component costs and Qualcomm’s increased chip prices
Valve is still keeping the Steam Frame release date and price under wraps, but that hasn’t stopped practically every video the company has made leaking ahead of time.
Videos of unboxing the Steam Frame, how to sign in, and even how to equip the ergonomic kit have appeared, showing every detail about Valve’s VR headset. There are eight videos in total, which shows that – despite the ongoing radio silence – Valve is well prepared to launch its headset at any time.
The videos were accidentally published in an ARM Steam Client update on August 19, and were shared by users before some of them were removed.
Perhaps the most interesting video in the batch is the one that shows the Steam Frame’s interpupillary distance wheel. It features a clever sliding lock so you don’t have to calibrate the IPD every time you play.
Valve has also created an extended light blocker for those with small noses, and there are plenty of other comfort tweaks to ensure the Steam Frame fits every face and head shape out there.
With these video leaks, and after the Steam Frame startup screen leaked, it feels like a matter of when, not if, Valve will share the Steam Frame release date and price. The next key date we’re eyeing up is August 24, which is Valve’s 30th anniversary. It feels like a fitting date to launch the company’s last piece of hardware, and clearly Valve is ready to go.
There have been several shipments of the Steam Frame to Valve’s warehouses, and its new ‘Great on Frame’ Steam category has continued to grow, with more games receiving verification each day.
Unfortunately, the Steam Frame price is tipped to be higher than expected, especially as the Steam Machine launched for over $1,000. Qualcomm, which manufactures the chip inside the Steam Frame, also announced it would raise prices. With the memory crisis seemingly unabating, all signs point to a four-figure price tag for the Steam Frame.
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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.