(Credit: Valve)
š A key piece of the Steam Frameās software experience has leaked online
š The headsetās startup screen has been spotted in the recent data mine for the new Steam Client Beta
š Itās thought this could be one of the last pieces of the puzzle before an announcement that feels inevitable by this point
š„³ Valveās 30th birthday is in a matter of days, and the Steam Frame bombshell could come then, if not hopefully sooner
We might have just gotten a big indication that the Steam Frame is coming soon, as a key part of its software experience has leaked online.
As per Steam Hardware Updates on X, the startup screen for the Steam Frame has been spotted in the recent data mine for the new Steam Client Beta.
This is quite a big backend update for Valve, as it could be one of the final pieces of the software puzzle before we finally get a big reveal for the headset.
It isnāt the first software-driven bombshell either, as we recently learned about one of the Steam Frameās first virtual environments, Aurora, which is very similar to the virtual environment found on the Valve Index, the brandās previous VR headset effort.
As the Steam Frame subreddit picked up at the time, you should be able to tinker with everything from the color of the stars to their brightness and even the speed of the aurora effect.
Valve hasnāt stopped its seemingly endless stream of backend updates for the device, either, not to mention the litany of shipments itās received for the device into its US warehouse in recent weeks, so something must be going on.
The most recent shipment information weāve got took the total to 22 Steam Frame shipments, which also includes controllers and associated accessories, and the headsets themselves.
It seems Valve keeps stocking up on units as it prepares for the hotly anticipated Steam Frame pre-order, which seems like it could come at any moment now.
Itās Valveās 30th birthday in a matter of days, and the big announcement could coincide with such a grand occasion, although that is pure speculation.
One insider actually thinks weāre overdue an announcement about the Steam Frameās release date and its pricing information, although his sources note the headset could be very expensive. It could start at $1,100, which isnāt great for folks who hoped the Steam Frame would be more affordable.
The Steam Frame has also recently cleared one of its final regulatory hurdles, suggesting a launch is very close otherwise, and there are now well over 50 verified games for the new āGreat on Frameā category, including a wide range of options with a mix of traditional VR titles and flatscreen 2D options.
This includes Valveās own showcase VR titles that were some of the first to be certified, along with the first game Valve certified in Portal 2, plus addictive deckbuilder Balatro and even more besides.
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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.