Leaked Steam Console Isn’t What You Think It Is, Says Dataminer

A new Steam Frame patent had many players believing that a new Steam console was being developed. However, a dataminer has just revealed that Valve is working on a new hardware accessory instead.

Steam Frame is Valve’s New VR Headset According to Leak

A patent discovered on Sept 3 sent many Valve fans into a frenzy, as they believed it confirmed that it was a new Steam console. Labeled “Steam Frame,” many believed the registered trademark pointed toward Valve’s second attempt at making a new gaming console. However, according to a dataminer, Steam Frame is actually tied to Valve’s new standalone SteamVR headset.

The leak was first reported on by the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit. “Dataminer Lifeismana found strings in a SteamVR update released a few hours ago which mention the Steam Frame, a new hardware device that was trademarked by Valve yesterday. This seems to confirm that Steam Frame is the official product name of Valve’s standalone VR headset codenamed Deckard, which has been in development since 2021 and has been long-awaited by VR enthusiasts,” user MisterSheeple explained.

Backing this up further, a second dataminer confirmed that Valve is currently renaming SteamVR overlays as frames. “After datamining tonight’s HUGE SteamVR Beta, I can confirm that Valve is definitely rebranding SteamVR ‘Overlays’ to ‘Frames.’ Therefore, if Deckard’s product name is The Steam Frame: you should now understand what its major selling point is going to be… SPATIAL GAMING.” So there you go, it appears Steam Frame is actually a new VR headset, and not a new gaming console after all.

What We Know About New SteamVR Headset

While this is speculation, many believe that the new VR headset could be announced soon. When the Steam Deck launched in 2021, it was revealed literally 24 hours after its name was trademarked. As far as its specs go, we still don’t have any information, although a previous leak gave a general description of it.

“The device runs on an ARM version of SteamOS Linux with compatibility layers for playing Windows and Android-based VR games. It’ll also play non-VR Steam games in a previously datamined theater mode,” Reddit user MisterSheeple clarified. So the Steam Frame appears to be a more consumer-friendly device, as it will work with non-Steam games as well as Android devices.

Based on these leaks, the new SteamVR headset will be more in the range of the Meta Quest. Which is interesting, because when Valve first got into VR, their HTC Vive goggles were incredibly expensive. In general, they were also more aimed toward hardcore gaming enthusiasts. Perhaps with the wild success of the Steam Deck, Valve’s next VR will be more focused on accessibility than specs.