Valve has opened pre-orders for the Steam Frame and has not only announced the MSRP but also enabled registration for purchase.
The wait is over: Following the Steam Controller and the Steam Machine, Valve has now opened pre-orders for the Steam Frame VR headset and announced the prices for the two models, with 256 GB and 1 TB of storage, respectively.
When Valve announced the headset, it promised that the MSRP of the Steam Frame would be lower than the price of the Valve Index at the time. The company is keeping that promise—barely.
The entry-level model with 256 GB of storage costs 1,049 euros; for the 1 TB model, Valve is charging on the Steam Store 1,279 euros. The controllers, the included wireless adapter, and inside-out tracking—that is, camera-based tracking within the headset itself—are all included.
In purely mathematical terms, Valve kept the promise mentioned at the beginning: The Index, including controllers and external tracking, cost 1,079 euros. However, you could also purchase the headset at that time without accessories for 539 euros; from this perspective, the comparison only applies to the complete package.
Registration until the evening of September 17
However, this announcement does not mean you can purchase the Steam Frame right away; rather, Valve says it has learned from the sometimes disastrous circumstances surrounding the controller’s launch.
- Accordingly, you can currently only register your Steam account to purchase a Steam Frame, but you cannot complete the purchase yet. The deadline for registration is September 17 at 7 p.m. German time.
- After that, Valve will randomly determine the order of selection once and notify you via the email address you provided whether you’ve received a reservation or need to wait a little longer.
Starting September 18, the first purchase invitations are scheduled to go out, limited to the initial number of units available. It’s unclear how many that will be or when more will follow—in any case, notifications will be sent out gradually as more are produced.
No Half-Life 3, but an Alyx Bonus
While Valve is ruling out the possibility of a Half-Life 3 at the launch of the Steam Headset, it is at least giving fans of the legendary shooter the Alyx title for free with their purchase. This doesn’t mean a coupon code, though; instead, you can unlock the VR game in your VR headset’s settings.
If you already own Half-Life: Alyx, however, you’ll come away empty-handed. It appears that the unlock code cannot be gifted or traded. Additional accessories for the Steam Deck are set to be made available via email: In addition to a USB-C power adapter for 39 euros, Valve is also offering an ergonomic kit for 69 euros and a spare parts kit for 59 euros.
