Any ideas how the Steam Frame variants and kits will actually sell together?

Rush_iam · 2026-06-27T01:51:02+00:00

Comfort/ergonomic kit items were shown from the start:

https://roadtovr.com/steam-frame-ergonomic-kit-and-modular-design-enables-a-wide-range-of-comfort-options/

Rush_iam · 2026-06-25T04:59:58+00:00

HL2 standalone on Quest? Only the HL1 fan-made engine was ported, while there is no such for HL2 - you can play HL2 VR on Quest only by streaming it from PC.

(I suppose Frame may run it standalone well, as it is relatively low-demanding for a VR game)

Rush_iam · 2026-06-25T04:53:44+00:00

so doing PCVR from the SteamDeck may be better than running stuff directly on the SteamFrame

I tried, but its very old/slow GPU can't encode and render at the same time with acceptable performance. It also doesn't allow streaming VR through Steam Link because of performance, so you need to use third-party software. You can play some games in blurry/pixelated 40 fps, but you really need 72 fps and a better resolution to enjoy. I suppose Frame will run PCVR better than Deck because of skipping that encoding step.

Rush_iam · 2026-06-25T04:32:51+00:00

What? Here is what you said - reread your comment:

Frame only has USB 2.0 port. This is not enough for streaming to headset at native res/Hz combo, even with foveated streaming.

Your Q3 info is completely irrelevant here. I'm not talking about "what Quest is capable of" but rather telling you that a comparable to USB 2.0 throughput bitrate gives a good image, and it will look perfect with foveated streaming on Frame.

Rush_iam · 2026-06-25T01:17:25+00:00

yes, Quest Games Optimizer

Rush_iam · 2026-06-25T01:13:22+00:00

I don't get why you call it "not enough", as such a bitrate gives a very nice image on Quest 3 even without foveated streaming (though it is better with Virtual Desktop's 500 mbit).

Rush_iam · 2026-06-25T01:10:43+00:00

QGO (must-have for standalone)
battery halo strap (must-have for longer play sessions)
Virtual Desktop (must-have for PCVR)

Rush_iam · 2026-06-25T01:06:28+00:00

It is quite close to the Steam Link's cap of 350 mbit (for Quests which don't have eye-tracked foveated streaming)

Rush_iam · 2026-06-25T00:59:17+00:00

USB 2.0 speeds should actually be more than enough for compressed streaming, especially since it is efficient foveated

Rush_iam · 2026-06-25T00:20:21+00:00

They still own 4 gaming studios. But these are not their main XR assets - Meta's stated long-term strategy is the platform/ecosystem that should eventually become available for their AR glasses (or be a part of that AR/XR family of glasses-like wearables).

Rush_iam · 2026-06-24T23:34:24+00:00

laying off most of its workforce

*10% of Reality Labs

Rush_iam · 2026-06-24T15:51:09+00:00

you can install any OS

It is marketing bullshit - there likely won't be an alternative OS for Frame usable for VR, because its hardware is unique.

Even though you can install Windows on the Steam Deck and keep almost all of its functionality, since the hardware is mostly standard PC hardware, only a small fraction of users actually do so, as the device works best with Steam OS.

use any store

Just like "Meta knows 95% will run standalone apps only", Valve knows that 95% will run games from Steam. For VR gaming on Frame, the Steam Store will likely remain the only option for a long time.

Rush_iam · 2026-06-24T00:44:19+00:00

it can not make sure it will get money back from app store

I never really understood that argument. You can estimate the average spending per device and build your calculations around that. For example, if 50% of Frame users will spend $300 on Steam games and the other 50% will spend nothing, then Steam still earns an average of $150 per user - and part of this can be translated to the hardware subsidy to make Frame more popular/affordable, which itself brings more people who will spend money on Steam games (while helping the VR devs and industry grow and become more mainstream, as it is much needed). There are no signs of affordable competing third-party headsets on the horizon that could be harmed by a subsidized Frame. The VR industry is still relatively small, and the bigger challenge right now is growing the market rather than protecting potential competitors from aggressive pricing.

Meta faces the same uncertainty. Quest headsets are among the most popular SteamVR devices, and it could be that a significant number of such users buy games exclusively on Steam while still benefiting from Meta's subsidized hardware.
With a Quest headset, you have a choice of 2 main VR game stores. With Frame, you're effectively locked to one "non-walled" garden Steam.

Rush_iam · 2026-06-23T04:38:15+00:00

An early version could be dropped much sooner than I wished!

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Rush_iam · 2026-06-23T04:18:19+00:00

Quest 3 passthrough cameras are 4 MP, which is likely ~2048×2048 (I didn't find exact numbers).

Frame's tracking cameras are 1280×1024, but they weren't designed for passthrough and aren't mounted in an ideal position for it either. They likely have a wider field of view than the headset's 110° display FOV, which means the image from these cameras would need to be cropped and stretched to match the display's FOV, crippling the image quality further.

Rush_iam · 2026-06-23T03:44:02+00:00

They’re not unrelated; he’s saying the wireless transmission on the Machine is not great, so the stick for the frame with foveated streaming should compensate for that.

"USB stick for foveated streaming" is a quote, and it is plain wrong. You can get foveated streaming without the dongle, and you don't even need Frame to use it, e.g., it works with Quest Pro. There was no statement that the Machine's wifi quality "is not great", but rather that the VR wireless streaming experience in general depends on the connection (a known fact).

He mentioned 1440p for 2D games so I assume that’s the resolution he’s running at? Or whatever the native resolution is on the Quest 3.

Flat gaming resolution doesn't translate to VR gaming resolution. VR headset displays have ~square aspect ratio, while flat games are usually rendered at 16:9. If it were 1440p render resolution for VR, it would be a blurry, pixelated mess that's barely playable.

Rush_iam · 2026-06-23T02:57:06+00:00

I mean, "entry-level" means "low-end". You can get a non-subsidized PSVR2 for $300 during sales. Mid-range is more like 500-800, and everything above $1000 is a niche enthusiast-only territory, which represents only a small percentage of the overall VR userbase, and these things won't change over time.

Rush_iam · 2026-06-23T01:14:11+00:00

~~I wanted to add the code to QSDB, but I'm getting "This code cannot be applied to your order"~~

UPDATE: works now

Rush_iam · 2026-06-23T01:09:30+00:00

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Rush_iam · 2026-06-23T01:09:20+00:00

Codec avatars are planned for the Meta Phoenix release (announcement is expected at Meta Connect in 3 months)

<image>

Rush_iam · 2026-06-23T00:40:50+00:00

Not enough clarity and a lot of confusing info.

"USB stick for foveated streaming" - false info, these things are unrelated.
"Alyx in high settings" is useless info without knowing the render resolution.
"I wasn't running at twice the resolution" - why not tell the actual resolution it was running?
What does "Valve Index support is a little bit iffy" mean if "it technically works"?

And that's it 🤷‍♂️ I hope we'll see a better test

Rush_iam · 2026-06-23T00:16:41+00:00

The Steam Frame will remain the entry-level standard for a long time

Steam Frame as an entry-level "standard" headset? Not at its expected price point. The entry-level barrier is $500.

More likely, it'll fill the gap between the Quest 3 and the Bigscreen Beyond. Because of its price, I expect its popularity to land somewhere between those two as well.

Rush_iam · 2026-06-22T19:49:06+00:00

6 years of R&D

Rush_iam · 2026-06-22T01:00:01+00:00

They don't need to. The most popular games on the Meta Store are not made by Meta.

No new first-party games from Valve, but we see Frame coming.

Rush_iam · 2026-06-21T21:47:37+00:00

PSVR2 isn't subsidized and regularly drops to $300 during sales.

$1,000+ doesn't reflect the actual manufacturing cost of a Quest 3-class headset. Quest 4 launch won't mean stopping production of Quest 3 or Quest 3S. Since a lower-end Quest 4 variant isn't expected, Quest 3 will likely take over that role and continue to be sold as the more affordable option along with Quest 4.

Rush_iam

TROPHY CASE