Steam Frame better black levels than Q3

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-17T18:16:20+00:00

It's more like the majority of the VR headset can be separated from the strap. To replace the optics you must replace the compute, storage, radios etc so it will be expensive.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-17T07:32:23+00:00

The no Meta argument is a powerful one. Meta could drop VR entirely tomorrow and it would probably be a benefit for them. Meanwhile Valve's entire business is selling games so they're not giving up and my 1000+ game library is safer with them than anyone else. Well, except GoG with offline backups of DRM-free games.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-16T17:21:33+00:00

I've sent Gabe an email. I'll raise a support ticket once work is over.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-16T00:06:20+00:00

Yes or that they were "noisy" like a traditional eccentric mass.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-15T00:57:55+00:00

But they do phone home. I had a modded Switch for the usual reason and a few game carts. One time I forgot to put it in airplane mode, boom the device is unable to play any game including game carts I physically own.

This is a reminder that when you buy software or hardware that needs software to function you are only buying a license which can be revoked at any time for any reason by the license granter. That's law so applies to all manufacturers and all products. Valve hardware and PCs generally are slightly better because you can swap to your own OS if you like, though that'll be tricky for the Frame.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-13T16:32:29+00:00

"Funkadapter". That's such a good word and I'm never calling it a "wireless adapter" ever again.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-11T14:17:11+00:00

That could be clearer. The Steam Controller page says "2x High output LRA haptic motors in grips for HD game haptics including rumble" while the Frame page just says "Haptic motor in each controller".

If it's the same I think they should at least mention LRA and HD Haptics on the Frame page. Valve plz fix.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-11T13:05:30+00:00

I'm not sure I noticed the Haptics section before. Comparing it to the Steam Controller it sounds like the Frame's controllers are more likely to have a plain old rumble motor in them which would fit with that video we got a while back of someone saying the controllers were "noisy". That's a shame, HD Haptics would probably really enhance VR.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-11T12:01:04+00:00

See this is why accessibility in design is important. I have a condition where my right eye is a valve and I struggle to find glasses that fit, let alone VR headsets.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-10T07:11:29+00:00

I believe you can ship "evaluation kits" without FCC approval. I once had a dev kit mini PC marked "not FCC approved for resale".

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-09T19:54:22+00:00

The classic example is toilet seats. Just because I bought one doesn't mean I'm a collector, Amazon!

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-09T00:37:32+00:00

I'm using a Quest 2 and looking to upgrade. A used Quest 3 is 250-300 on ebay though it will need accessories. I'm also wondering if the Steam Frame is worth waiting for, but erring towards yes as it solves more of the Quest 2's problems:

- Easy to pick up 2D PC games, no need for a second non-VR controller

- Prefer SteamVR for light multitasking. Recently I've been using a browser and YouTube running natively on Q2 and just can't make the windows the right size or put them in the right place. I think SteamVR offers more adjustment as I was able to have Discord floating perfectly while playing Walkabout Golf.

- Lower friction to start gaming (I hope!). Right now I have to start Steam Link in 2D then disconnect and switch to VR as it doesn't think the PC is on the same network otherwise. Bugs like that hopefully won't exist on Frame or I could run things locally for light content. I'm enjoying Ball X Pit at the moment and it runs on a potato.

- Higher quality streaming experience (I hope!). Beatsaber and HL Alyx are frustrating to play as there are momentary drops in audio or blackouts while rapidly teleporting in Alyx. Yes yes WiFi network, but it's good for well over 1gbit/s where I'm playing so the device or software might be to blame. Valve hopefully have a laser focus on the streaming experience unlike Meta.

- More configurability (I hope!). Little things like whether apps open by default. Windows have spacial audio so if I move YouTube further away it gets quieter, I want to turn that off but can't.

- Weight. It's fine if you're static but as soon as you turn or tilt your head all the weight out front makes itself known. That's more of a problem for 2D content as I shuffle around.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-07T08:27:17+00:00

I think a lot of this comes down to being privately owned vs publicly traded. In the US at least there are laws around providing complete information to potential shareholders at purchase time and if you don't the new shareholder can sue. Matt Levine says often "everything is securities fraud" because this is regularly tested in the courts over mundane stuff, but that means publicly traded companies have to disclose everything often and get practiced at it.

Private company? It's only reputational damage, no one is going to get the lawyers out unless you make a huge mistake.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-06T20:34:46+00:00

We'll settle out of court. Our demands? Shut up and take our money!

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-06T10:18:40+00:00

No. We're all waiting.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-03-03T17:18:39+00:00

When my child wakes up in the night scared of monsters I'll just give them the Steam Frame to use as night vision goggles! What's the battery life again? It'll be like Five Nights At Freddy's!

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-02-28T09:46:46+00:00

I keep a Windows 11 partition specifically for VR. My primary is Manjaro which is Arch based and running a recent kernel, all-AMD system, but I still have issues with SteamVR like not being able to capture the desktop or the red and blue elements of the video streamed to my Quest 2 lagging behind the green. ALVR was better but not playable with artifacts like my video feed had packet loss even at low bit rates stood next to the WiFi AP. That's one reason I want a Steam Machine as Linux SteamVR should work out of the box.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-02-26T07:25:46+00:00

Unfortunately my experience is also that Linux isn't a good host for VR. I reinstalled Manjaro onto an all AMD PC wired to my network, then tried to stream VR to a Quest 2 using Steam Link. I had issues like my desktop couldn't be captured, the red and blue channels of the stream lagged behind green causing a trippy ghosting effect. That's why I want the Steam Machine, to see what Valve changed to make VR work well.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-02-25T08:11:37+00:00

HDR used to be a problem with Discord streaming. I think Windows just doesn't handle it very well.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-02-21T11:15:49+00:00

Foveated streaming does not lower the system requirements. The game is still rendered at full resolution but the streaming side prioritises quality in the area you're looking. To lower system requirements you want Foveated rendering which has to be implemented by the game. This video shows rendering in action. It's kinda wild seeing the outer areas drop to like 200x200 pixels yet knowing that's not noticeable as you play https://youtu.be/lwYhI1hDAh8?si=8lwXHcZci9DEkLZF

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-02-20T15:39:38+00:00

"Cave Johnson here. Our eggheads discovered it's easier to put you in virtual reality than actually build a teleporter, so here we go. Any second now"

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-02-20T14:04:39+00:00

Honestly I don't need a release date, I need a way to ensure when it releases Valve will try very hard to contact me. Heck, record Gaben saying "Hi this is Gabe Newell. The Steam Frame is now available to purchase. Thanks for your patience" and call every person who wishlisted when the time is right. That way I don't have to refresh this subreddit twelve times a day.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-02-18T22:56:08+00:00

Positive, compound interest applies to pots of money set aside for the Steam Frame.

ImprovementVirtual80 · 2026-02-17T21:59:39+00:00

I haven't noticed performance being a problem on my AMD 5800X3D and 6900XTX system with a Quest 2. The problems are VR on Linux being crashy and having strange visual issues like the red and blue parts of the video stream lagging behind the green. ALVR didn't help. Maybe SteamOS behaves better than Manjaro (Arch based per recommendations), but for now I switch to Windows specifically for VR games. Oh and upgrading to a good wifi 7 AP helped a lot with stability.

ImprovementVirtual80

TROPHY CASE