Valve opens Steam Frame reservations at $1,059 amid VR market retreat

September 14, 2026 at 10:00 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Valve opened reservations for its Steam Frame VR headset on September 14, 2026, with a starting price of $1,059 for the 256GB model. The headset runs SteamOS on Arm and supports both standalone and PC-streamed VR, with the first purchase offers going out on September 18. The launch comes as Valve re-enters a VR market that has cooled since the Meta Quest era.

Key Facts

The Steam Frame 256GB model costs $1,059, while the 1TB model costs $1,299.
Reservations are open from September 14 to September 17 at 10AM PT, with purchase offers sent on September 18.
The headset weighs 440 grams, about 15% lighter than the Meta Quest 3's 515 grams.
Every Steam Frame includes a copy of Half-Life: Alyx, which has been ported to run natively on the headset.
Valve uses a randomized lottery system for the first batch to limit resellers, a practice also used for the Steam Machine.

Pricing and Models

Valve announced two Steam Frame configurations: a 256GB model at $1,059 and a 1TB model at $1,299. In Canada, the 256GB model costs $1,529 CAD and the 1TB model costs $1,859 CAD. European pricing is €1,049 for the 256GB model and €1,279 for the 1TB model. Valve also sells an Ergonomic Accessories Kit for $49 and a power adapter for $29, as no charger is included in the box.

Reservation Process

Sign-ups for the Steam Frame reservation lottery are open from September 14 until September 17 at 10AM PT. Valve will randomize the reservation list on September 17 and notify the first wave of buyers on September 18. Buyers selected in the lottery have 72 hours to complete their purchase. Valve stated the reservation system improves the purchase experience and limits resellers, as it did with the Steam Machine.

Hardware and Design

The Steam Frame weighs 440 grams, with roughly half the weight in a curved, cushioned 21.6 Wh battery behind the skull. The headset is about 15% lighter than the Meta Quest 3, which weighs 515 grams. Valve engineers Pierre-Loup Griffais and Jeff Leinbaugh said work on the Steam Frame began as soon as the Index shipped, with goals of making it lighter and easier to use. The Steam Frame runs SteamOS on Arm and can play flat and VR games locally or stream them from a PC.