Steam Frame review: a comfortable, wireless way to play your Steam library in VR

This is what the Frame is built for. The wireless adapter in the box plugs into your gaming PC and gives the headset its own link, so it isn't fighting your router for bandwidth. Valve recommends staying within 20 feet of the adapter, and how smoothly it streams also depends on your setup. Full streaming through the adapter is supported on Windows PCs; Linux support comes with limits. It streams your whole Steam library, VR and flat games alike, and it can stream from a Steam Deck too.

Eye tracking does real work here. With foveated streaming, the PC sends full detail only where you're looking, which keeps the picture sharp without choking the link.

Running games on the Frame itself is hit and miss. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 handles lighter, well-optimized games, but heavier games, and ones that haven't been tuned for it, can run too badly to play, and some open and then crash. SteamOS will feel familiar if you use Steam on a PC, and because it works like a small computer, you can install your own apps and open a browser in the headset. There's a microSD slot if the built-in storage fills up.

The picture holds up well against other headsets in this class, with a wide field of view. Tracking is the Frame's strongest feature. Your head and controllers track solidly, though the picture can show some judder and ghosting.

Passthrough is black and white. If you want to see your room in color for mixed reality, you'll need to add the Arcturus Vision Camera.

Plan on an hour or two for games running on the headset, and longer if you only stream. Valve says any USB-C charger of 45W or more will keep you playing while plugged in, but there's no power supply in the box, so use a Steam Deck charger or buy one before your headset arrives.

Glasses fit if the frames are no wider than 140mm. If yours are wider, Zenni makes prescription lenses for the Frame.

The Pimax Dream Air is the pick only if you play seated sims at a desk and want the most detailed picture. It stays wired to the PC, while the Steam Frame carries its own chip and battery, streams without a cable and costs far less. The PlayStation VR2 is the better buy if your games live on a PlayStation and you want a big virtual screen for movies or a workout routine. The Frame costs more, and that money buys a headset that doubles as a computer. It's also noticeably lighter than the Sony.