Yet another hint about the impending launch of the Steam Frame VR headset has emerged, thanks to a new FCC filing showing details of the battery systems used by both the headset and its controllers. Along with the controllers shown using standard AA batteries, the filing also contains details about a hot-swappable battery system available in a mystery “Frame Enthusiast kit.”
With the Steam Frame set to be competing for the crown of ‘best VR headset’ once it launches at some point this summer, any hints as to its price and release date are like gold dust to prospective buyers, and this latest filing is among the strongest hints yet of just how soon it will arrive. It’s set to launch around the same time as the Steam Machine release date, but the exact launch dates of both devices are still to be nailed down.
This new FCC filing, then, is a publicly disclosed and required submission for certain classes of electronic equipment. It’s intended to show that the product conforms to federal standards, detailing key aspects of the hardware and tests that have been performed to show it is compliant. off. As such, this submission for the Steam Frame controller details its antenna and radio frequency tests, among other details.
As part of this documentation, detailed images are shown of the exterior and internals of the controller, including its two main circuit boards and vibration motor. Not too much can be gleaned from these images, other than the relative simplicity of the controller’s design, but it does clearly show that the controller uses an AA battery.
Meanwhile, buried in the document labelled ‘Users Manual _Statement’, there are several references to an Enthusiast accessory battery pack, Frame Enthusiast kit, and Hot-Swappable Enthusiast battery pack, giving away that there appears to be some sort of official battery pack add-on that users will be able to buy for the Steam Frame.
While the Steam Frame battery pack might have hot-swappable batteries, though, this filing is less clear on the replaceability of the headset’s internal battery. It specifically says that users shouldn’t replace damaged batteries but that a professional should be contacted, but then in a section on repairs, it says that users shouldn’t replace or repair any part of the headset “other than replacing a battery in accordance with Valve’s instructions.”
As to the rest of the Steam Frame’s secrets, the headset isn’t shown in this filing, so it remains to be seen if it will show up in a separate filing, and whether such a filing will disclose any further interesting tidbits.