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Valve's Steam Frame Virtual Reality Headset Launched Amid Supply Chain Challenges
Confirmed
In Short: Valve has released its Steam Frame virtual reality headset, but the device comes at a high price due to global supply chain issues.
Valve's Steam Frame virtual reality headset has officially hit the market, but the device's launch is marred by the same supply chain challenges that have affected the tech industry as a whole. According to Valve developer Jeremy Selan, the global RAM and storage markets have impacted the Steam Frame's affordability, making it more expensive than initially planned.
When Valve first announced the Steam Frame, it targeted a lower price point than its previous Valve Index headset, which launched at $999. However, the company has had to fight hard to get the Steam Frame to its current price, as reported by The Verge. 'We set out to come out with a device that would have been far more affordable, but the global RAM market, the global storage market have impacted us the same way they’ve impacted everybody,' Selan told the BBC.
Despite the high price, Valve is optimistic about the Steam Frame's performance. The headset is fully wireless and battery-powered, making it lighter and more compact than its predecessor, the Valve Index. 'It’s pretty comfortable with the price,' a Valve spokesperson told The Verge, adding that other computing gear is also getting more expensive at the same time.
The Steam Frame's design is a significant improvement over the Valve Index, as it is easier to set up and offers more room than the Quest 3, according to Gizmodo. However, the device may not change how users think about virtual reality gaming, as noted by Gizmodo. 'That being said, it may still not change how you think of virtual reality gaming,' the article states.
According to reports, the supply of original virtual reality games has slowed to a dribble, and the Steam Frame arrives covered in bumps and scrapes from a fight with the worst components shortage in memory. Despite these challenges, Valve's new headset makes a promising first impression, as noted by BBC's Tom Gerken, who got his hands on the Steam Frame. 'I've owned VR headsets for well over a decade, and Valve's latest effort makes a promising first impression,' Gerken said.
What's confirmed
- Valve's Steam Frame virtual reality headset has officially hit the market, but the device's launch is marred by the same supply chain challenges that have affected the tech industry as a whole. According to Valve developer Jeremy Selan, the global RAM and storage markets have impacted the Steam Frame's affordability, making it more expensive than initially planned.
- When Valve first announced the Steam Frame, it targeted a lower price point than its previous Valve Index headset, which launched at $999. However, the company has had to fight hard to get the Steam Frame to its current price, as reported by The Verge. 'We set out to come out with a device that would have been far more affordable, but the global RAM market, the global storage market have impacted us the same way they’ve impacted everybody,' Selan told the BBC.
- Despite the high price, Valve is optimistic about the Steam Frame's performance. The headset is fully wireless and battery-powered, making it lighter and more compact than its predecessor, the Valve Index. 'It’s pretty comfortable with the price,' a Valve spokesperson told The Verge, adding that other computing gear is also getting more expensive at the same time.
- The Steam Frame's design is a significant improvement over the Valve Index, as it is easier to set up and offers more room than the Quest 3, according to Gizmodo. However, the device may not change how users think about virtual reality gaming, as noted by Gizmodo. 'That being said, it may still not change how you think of virtual reality gaming,' the article states.
- According to reports, the supply of original virtual reality games has slowed to a dribble, and the Steam Frame arrives covered in bumps and scrapes from a fight with the worst components shortage in memory. Despite these challenges, Valve's new headset makes a promising first impression, as noted by BBC's Tom Gerken, who got his hands on the Steam Frame. 'I've owned VR headsets for well over a decade, and Valve's latest effort makes a promising first impression,' Gerken said.
What's still developing
- Valve said that amount of RAM helped it get Half-Life: Alyx running natively on the headset.
- “We fought hard to get it even to this price.” I haven’t yet seen Valve say whether it’s selling the Steam Frame at cost, like the company confirmed it was doing with the $1,049 Steam Machine living room PC.
- As the long-rumored foldable iPhone edges closer to reality, Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold is emerging as a compelling alternative for those unwilling to keep waiting.
- That means actual specifications and pricing will be revealed just two days after this article's publication.