The Steam Frame’s Price Tag: A Cause for Concern

The Steam Machine, Valve’s latest attempt at a mini gaming PC, has been making waves in the tech community with its price tag. However, it seems like the Steam Frame, Valve’s upcoming VR headset, might end up even more expensive than its predecessor.

According to a now-deleted stream by Valve leaker Tyler McVicker, spotted by NotebookCheck, the Steam Frame could be priced at or above $1,100. This news comes as a surprise, especially considering the ongoing RAM crisis that has been affecting the tech industry.

A Powerful yet Expensive Device

The Steam Frame is set to be equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, paired with 16GB of DDR5 memory. This powerful combination is likely to drive up the price of the device, especially considering the design considerations that the Steam Frame has to take into account.

Each eye of the Steam Frame will feature a 2160×2160 LCD display with a 144Hz refresh rate, and there are a total of six cameras strapped onto the headset to track head and eye movement when playing games. Additionally, Valve has engineered an impressive wireless transmission method that can intelligently render games based on what the user is looking at.

Despite the Steam Frame’s ability to run games locally, it’s still a relatively new technology that requires significant resources to develop and manufacture. This could be a contributing factor to the device’s high price tag.

A Look at the Competition

The Steam Frame’s price tag is not entirely unexpected, considering the high cost of other VR headsets on the market. The Valve Index, for example, was priced at $999 when it was first released in 2019. It’s not hard to imagine that the Steam Frame will be even more expensive, especially considering its advanced features and powerful hardware.

It’s worth noting that the Steam Frame is still in development, and we won’t know its exact price until it’s officially released. However, based on the information available, it’s likely that the Steam Frame will be a pricey device.

A Timeline for the Steam Frame’s Release

According to Valve’s previous launch schedule, the Steam Machine was released roughly 7 weeks after the Steam Controller launched on May 4. If Valve follows this same timeline, we could see the Steam Frame’s Steam page open up as early as August 10.

While this is just speculation, it’s clear that the Steam Frame is going to be a significant release for Valve. Its price tag will likely be a major factor in determining its success in the market.