THE CRUNCH
Valve’s Steam Frame VR headset was probably priced around $750 before rising costs, according to developer Pierre-Loup Griffais. He told IGN that the headset suffered a similar price hike to the Steam Deck, driven by higher expenses for the main board, copper, and shipping. The current retail price starts at $1,059, which is more than a Meta Quest 3. Griffais noted that these cost pressures have not affected the yet-
Valve software developer Pierre-Loup Griffais told IGN that the Steam Frame’s price hike mirrors the situation with the Steam Deck, which has seen US prices rise by 44 per cent. He attributes the increase to a combination of rising costs for the main board, copper layers, and global shipping. The current MSRP of $1,059 makes the headset more expensive than the Meta Quest 3, which is priced at $599. Despite the higher price, Griffais suggested the premium might be justified by Valve’s wireless game streaming and SteamOS, which offer a different value proposition than standalone competitors.
Griffais clarified that the cost pressures affecting the Steam Frame have not impacted the development of the Steam Deck 2. Valve has stated that the priorities for the new handheld remain the user experience, with a target performance uplift of at least 50 per cent.