The long-awaited Steam Frame is reportedly already under mass production, with a launch plan set for the end of this year. That’s according to a new report from China, which reckons that the company is preparing for a huge re-entry into the VR world, with hundreds of thousands of units ready for sale each year.
While Valve hasn’t yet announced a new VR headset to replace its aging Index, rumors about a replacement have been circulating for some time. While a Steam Frame announcement rumor didn’t prove to be true last month, that doesn’t mean the company hasn’t been working behind the scenes, with a Steam Frame patent and SteamVR data mining pointing to a new VR device, one that could easily rival Meta’s dominance in our best VR headset guide.
This new rumor, which was initially reported by UploadVR, was shared by a Chinese analyst group called XR Research Institute. The group has claimed that mass production is already underway for the Steam Frame, which has also used the Valve Deckard codename in earlier rumors. The group also claims that Valve is preparing between 400,000 and 600,000 headsets for sale each year.
It’s also claimed, again without confirmation from Valve, that this new headset could launch before the end of the year during the holiday season. No further details about the device are forthcoming from this new report, but it’s long been rumored, including in this very early SteamVR leak, that the Deckard headset will be standalone without requiring a PC. That would put it in direct competition with the Meta Quest 3, which we put through its paces in our Meta Quest 3 review.
Take this news with a large grain of salt for now, however, as Valve hasn’t confirmed the existence of any new VR headset – everything can, and likely is, subject to change. A new headset from the company will be of interest, but much will depend on its price. Luckily, this new rumor suggests we don’t have too long to wait to find out, one way or another.
In the meantime, make sure to check out our best gaming laptop guide for a less immersive, but still quite portable, list of rigs for your gaming pleasure. Our best handheld guide also has less bulky options, including Valve’s own Steam Deck, which continues to be a popular option for gamers.
Excited for a new VR headset from Valve? Start up a conversation in our Discord server with other like-minded readers and staff today.