Steam Frame launch appears imminent as a massive new VR shipment lands at Valve’s US warehouse

Valve appears to be getting closer to launching the Steam Frame, as a new shipment of Steam Frame-related hardware has arrived at the company’s US warehouse. While Valve has not yet announced an official release date, the latest shipment adds to a growing list of signs that the company is preparing for a broader launch.

While Valve has been receiving VR headset shipments for weeks, this is the first time a major shipment described as “HMD + VR controller accessory” has arrived at the company’s US warehouse. The shipment weighs around 1,656 KG, making it one of the biggest shipments associated with the upcoming VR headset so far.

The "VR controller accessory" part may be referring to the comfort kit that Valve showcased during the initial Steam Frame press demonstrations. Also referred to as the “ergonomic kit”, this accessory package comes with a top strap for the Steam Frame headset, which would help distribute the headset’s weight more evenly across the user’s head. It will also include controller straps that can be tightened around the hands, similar to the straps used with Valve Index controllers. This design would allow players to fully open their hands without dropping the controllers.

That said, in the past few weeks, we’ve seen developments that suggest the launch is very close. For instance, Valve recently added a Great on Steam Frame category to the Steam Store, which appears to be designed to highlight games that are optimized or compatible with the headset. The company has also begun assigning Steam Frame compatibility ratings to games, similar to the system it introduced for the Steam Deck and Steam Machine.