Steam Frame Set to Launch Today After Review Video Leaks

Valve is expected to reveal Steam Frame pricing and pre-orders today after an early Short Circuit unboxing leaked ahead of the embargo.

Short Circuit, the Linus Media Group unboxing channel, briefly published a roughly 17-minute video titled 'Our First 30 Mins With The Steam Frame' before making it private, but copies were archived and spread through Reddit. PC Guide reports the video was published before the review embargo lifted, while The Ghost Howls notes that Linus Tech Tips is an experienced channel making a surprisingly basic mistake — leading that outlet to suspect the leak may even have been controlled. Either way, it surfaced on the very day Valve is widely expected to announce release date, price, and pre-orders.

The Shortcut reports that Valve is expected to announce the Steam Frame release date, pricing, and pre-orders on September 14, with reservations opening at 1pm ET / 10am PT. The Ghost Howls lays out a stack of corroborating signals: a leaked LTT video, a major SteamVR update preparing for the headset, No Man's Sky adding foveated rendering, and datamined preorder email templates saying reservation-queue winners are selected on September 17 — implying sign-ups open around September 14–15. Today is also a Monday, a typical Valve launch day. The only missing piece is the price, which outlets expect to start at around $1,000 for the 256GB model.

The unboxing confirms the Steam Frame runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, letting it operate standalone, and supports Wi-Fi 7 plus an included 6GHz wireless dongle for PC streaming. PC Guide reports that wireless streaming in Half-Life: Alyx was difficult to distinguish from a wired experience, though VideoCardz notes Steam Machine streaming was not supported on the review unit's software and streaming came from a Windows PC instead. Controllers use replaceable AA batteries with Valve claiming around 40 hours per pair, and Linus described the bottom line as simply 'cutting the wire' rather than chasing sharper images.

VideoCardz reports that Valve is working on a native version of Half-Life: Alyx that will run directly on the Steam Frame rather than being streamed, a significant software hook for launch. This follows earlier VideoCardz reporting on Steam backend references to a dedicated 'Frame Alyx Promo,' suggesting the game may be bundled with headset purchases — though the Short Circuit video does not confirm that promotion. The Ghost Howls adds that No Man's Sky's latest update added foveated rendering, which that outlet reads as clear preparation for the new headset's hardware.

The first impressions were not all praise. PC Guide reports criticism of the controllers' ABXY buttons, LCD panels showing some color fringing despite looking sharp overall, and the monochrome passthrough displaying noticeable stitching between camera feeds. VideoCardz similarly notes color fringing toward the edges of the optics. On accessories, both outlets confirm Valve's optional Ergonomics Accessories Kit costs $60, with VideoCardz detailing a top strap, controller hand straps, and a smaller nose piece and light blocker.

Per The Shortcut, reservation queue sign-ups run until September 17, after which users are entered into a randomized selection similar to the Steam Controller and Steam Machine; order emails are predicted to start going out on September 21. The outlet also notes Valve has received several Steam Frame shipments this year, raising hopes supply will be better than the extremely scarce Steam Machine and Steam Controller. Beyond Valve, The Ghost Howls frames this as the start of a packed stretch for XR: Snap Specs launches on September 16, and Meta Connect follows on September 23, where leaked visuals of a small, lightweight 'Meta Phoenix' VR-glasses device are expected to be formalized.