Virtual reality headsets have become increasingly popular over the past few years. Sony’s PlayStation VR and VR2, the recently launched Samsung Galaxy XR and the revamped Apple Vision Pro are some examples. These tech giants join the meta in the virtual reality arena, giving us true competition in the AR/VR arena for the first time.
Yesterday, Valve announced that it’s also creating a brand new virtual reality headset, the Steam Frame, which is a follow-up to 2019’s Valve Index headset. (Valve has also announced a ton more Steam hardware.) It’s designed to be a streaming-first experience that’s compatible with your entire Steam library, whether your games are VR or non-VR. But how does it stack up to other headsets? let’s take a look.
Valve announces new Steam Machine console: price, specifications, release date
Steam Frame vs Vision Pro vs Quest 3: Just the Specifications
Meta Quest 3 VR headset with controllers.
Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable
Before we compare these headsets in more detail, let’s review the specifications for each. If you don’t care how much storage or RAM each headset has, just keep scrolling.
You’ll have to wait until 2026 to get your hands (and face) on Steam Frame. For now, we can only trace the specifications:
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon® 8th Gen 3, Architecture: ARM64
To hit: 16GB Unified LPDDR5X RAM
storage: 256GB/1TB UFS storage option, microSD card slot
Resolution: 2160 x 2160 (per eye)
Refresh Rate: 72-144Hz refresh rate (144Hz experimental)
battery capacity: 21.6Wh
Field of View: up to 110 degrees
Eye-tracking includes: Yes
price: tba
Apple released its new Vision Pro headset in October. It’s largely the same as the original headset released in 2023, but now powered by M5 silicon. Here are all the details:
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Processor: apple m5 chip
To hit: 16g
storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Resolution: 3,660 × 3,200 (per-eye)
Refresh Rate: 90Hz, 96Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz
battery capacity: Normal use up to 2.5 hours, video playback up to 3 hours
Field of View: ~100 degrees
Eye-tracking includes: Yes
price: $3,499
And here are the specifications of Meta Quest 3:
Processor: Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
To hit: 8 GB
storage: 512GB
Resolution: 2064 x 2208 (per eye)
Refresh Rate: 72Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz
battery capacity: 19.44Wh
Field of View: 110 degrees horizontal and 96 degrees vertical
Eye-tracking includes: No
price: $499.99
Which one is best for gaming?
On the gaming side of things, Steam Frame is going to have a huge advantage over the competition, as Valve promises that you’ll be able to play your entire Steam library. with meta quest 3 And Apple Vision Pro, you can only play games that were specifically designed or ported to that platform. While the Quest 3 has a good selection of titles, the Vision Pro wasn’t really designed for gaming, and its library reflects that fact.
On top of that, the Steam Frame will be compatible with other Steam hardware, including Steam Machines, decks, and controllers, making it a more versatile headset than others.
AR and VR: What’s the difference?
With virtual reality, you can disappear into a completely realized virtual world. with enhanced The reality is, you can still see and interact with the world around you. Where things get tricky is that AR headsets like the Vision Pro Too Support VR experiences, so it’s not an obvious difference. Based on what we know, Steam Frame is in the VR category.
An augmented reality visualization with Vision Pro.
Credit: Apple
The Steam Frame only has monochrome passthrough cameras, while the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 have color passthroughs. This means that the Quest and Vision Pro support augmented and mixed reality, while the Steam Frame does not appear to. On the surface, this makes the Steam Frame seem like more of a downgrade than its competitors, as it is a pure virtual reality headset. However, it also has a “user accessible front expansion port”, which can be used to add more features in the future, including color passthrough.
Quest 3 still wins on price
Valve hasn’t revealed the price of Steam Frame, but The company aims to keep it under $1,000Which is the price of a Valve Index headset. The Meta Quest 3 still seems to be the most affordable of the three headsets with a price tag of $500. Apple’s Vision Pro is the most expensive at $3,500, but it comes with high-cost components, a premium design, and some futuristic AR features.
Steam Frame is set to launch in early 2026.