Arabic version: إطلاق Steam Frame من Valve بسعر مرتفع للواقع الافتراضي
According to BBC News, Valve’s Steam Frame virtual reality headset has officially launched, priced at £1,089 for the 1TB version and £889 for the 256GB model. The headset can play games on-device and stream them from a PC, but its cost has renewed concerns that VR hardware is becoming inaccessible.
The Steam Frame is described as light and comfortable, with pancake lenses and a design that places its battery pack at the back of the user’s head to reduce front-heavy weight. Games run well, though BBC News noted that some rival devices offer better screens, including the PlayStation VR2’s OLED displays.
Valve developer Jeremy Selan said the company had intended to make a more affordable device, but that the global RAM market had affected its plans. RAM prices more than doubled between October 2025 and the start of 2026, while hardware makers face rising component costs.
The headset’s foveated streaming technology renders the point a user is looking at in the highest quality while reducing detail in peripheral vision. Valve says this helps deliver high-quality wireless PC VR streaming by combining household Wi-Fi with a dongle connected to a PC. However, users need a capable PC to take advantage of the feature.
Some industry voices dispute the idea that VR is broadly too expensive. UploadVR editor David Heaney pointed to Meta’s Quest 3S, which costs £320 and has been discounted to £250, arguing it is cheaper than several game consoles. He said VR remains in its early stages rather than near maturity.
