Valve aims to revitalize the PC VR market with its new headset, Steam Frame. The device can stream content from a local gaming PC via a dedicated wireless connection, or run games independently using its own hardware. Valve hopes this approach will expand its player base and the lineup of Steam VR games.
The Steam Frame is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and comes with a wireless adapter for connecting to a local gaming PC. Valve engineer Jeremy Selan stated that the device is designed with high-quality PC VR streaming as a priority. The company has provided test units to developers, hoping to reignite industry interest in the potential of PC VR development.
According to SteamDB data, the number of VR game releases on Steam peaked around 2017 and has since remained flat or declined. In 2025, a total of 481 VR games launched on Steam, marking the lowest level in a decade; the proportion of VR games among all new releases on the platform also dropped from 15% in 2017 to 2% in 2025. As of 2026, 270 new VR games have been released so far.
Valve hardware engineer Joy Lyons stated that the company wants players to have access to a wider variety of games. Steam Frame will leverage Proton, FEX, and Lepton to broaden compatibility: Proton enables Windows games to run on Linux, FEX allows games developed for x86 chips to run on Arm chips, and Lepton supports Android games in APK format.
Titles that run smoothly via both Proton and FEX will receive the "Steam Frame Native Compatibility Verified" badge. Valve believes that Lepton can also bring Android games, originally designed for mobile VR platforms, to Steam, thereby supplementing the platform's VR content from another angle.
Valve hopes that existing Steam VR games, including established PC VR titles like Half-Life: Alyx, will run on Steam Frame without requiring additional adaptation. Selan noted that as device sales increase and development becomes more economically viable, developers will be better positioned to leverage PC computing power while providing players with a wireless VR experience.