- Steam Frame 256GB: 1,059 USD / 1,529 CAD / 1,049 EUR / 889 GBP / 1,609 AUD / 4,539 PLN
- Steam Frame 1TB: 1,299 USD / 1,859 CAD / 1,279 EUR / 1,089 GBP / 1,969 AUD / 5,549 PLN
The integrated computer killed it.
If it were just a headset that depended on the Steam Machine/PC it could have been significantly cheaper. Adding enough RAM to make it a useful computer was probably most of the price.
How would you do wireless streaming without some kind of compute to handle the networking and video decoding? The frame is primarily a wireless streaming device
There are third party wireless streaming devices that function with the Index. It doesn’t take much compute to operate wifi and process minimally compressed video.
A headset with Chromebook equivalent hardware would be significantly cheaper than a headset with Steam Deck equivalent hardware.
They wanted a device like the Quest that would let people play decent VR without needing a strong PC. I think that was the right decision when it was being planned. But now that we’re mid-RAM apocalypse, the better move may have been to iterate on the Index and not try to make a new platform.
I didn’t know this existed, but a quick Google found nofio, but looks pretty pricy and doesn’t have great reviews… https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/comments/1b9hc7i/im_a_backer_for_the_wireless_nofio_adapter_many/
It was finicky to get setup and their company was overwhelmed with support requests for months. One of the guys in my makerspace had one and we managed to get it working (it helped that they were EEs). Outside of some rare dropped frames it was pretty smooth without any noticeable latency increase.
The Frame just uses standard Wifi7 which can push around 17-20Gbps, more than enough for low latency compressed video. It would take minimal hardware to connect to Wifi, and run the video through some hardware decoder.
I understand why they’re competing with the Quest, I’m buying one because it’s a good standalone that isn’t made by a data vacuum company (not yet, at least). The privacy aspect and Linux solidarity are what got me (I’m also selling my Index, so it’s a ‘cheap’ upgrade)
Let’s say they removed the onboard capability, and doing so halved the price.
You’re then left with a device which costs basically the same as a Quest 3 but also requires a PC to do anything. I’m pretty sure that would be reviewed a heck of a lot worse than even the current situation is.
A self-contained unit that matched the Quest and wins on not price but privacy was the only reasonable direction for Valve here.
You’re then left with a device which costs basically the same as a Quest 3 but also requires a PC to do anything.
That’s basically a wireless Index without the lighthouse, which is all a LOT of us were asking for. I don’t see the problem and would love that.
A self-contained unit that matched the Quest and wins on not price but privacy was the only reasonable direction for Valve here.
I do agree that the niche they’ve chosen to fill is valuable, having a good self-contained unit free of Meta’s spyware was the entire selling point for me.
I know a lot of people who were looking into PCVR but didn’t buy an Index because they didn’t want to spend $1000 on a VR headset. PCVR is a niche of a niche audience, so I’m not surprised that they didn’t release a product that was just Index v2.
Maybe, in the future they could offer a low-end SKU that was PC-only, without onboard gaming hardware.
$1500 CAD, plus another like $130 for straps and a charger that should be included. Then I have to order prescription lenses.
I don’t think this one is for me.
I hope Sam Altman rolls over in his grave over what he’s done to prices.
Wait for him to blow up and the bankruptcy tide to wash the price down, Chinese chips will push that further.
There’s too much money involved.
They’ll cry “national security” and too big to fail, then force the bailouts on US citizens.
Then the USA bond market will crash, and them along with it. No shot it’ll happen and if it does, the dollar has a good chance of lossing national reserve status.
You don’t have a USB c charger already? Please don’t mix valid criticism (the ergonomics kit pricing is ridiculous) with a positive move to reduce e-waste. I have multiple USB c chargers that will work for the frame, I’m glad they won’t be manufacturing and shipping me a new one.
Consumable light gaskets are US$50. For a piece of injection molded plastic.
100% buy for me at HALF this price, which sounds closer to what they wanted to release at if not for the PC components price spikes.
1500 can? Hell naw, I’ll wait for Sam altmen to get fucking merked by the repo men before I shell out for any electronics at this point.
That’s not at all a bad price for the product. Honestly I’m surprised it’s not more.
🎵 This is side one Flip me over I know I’m not your favourite record But the songs you’ve grown to love Never stick at first So I’m writing you a chorus And this is your verse🎵
-Dead On Arrival (Fall Out Boy)
I don’t play lotteries and I only have one kidney left.
I’m out.
So standard Valve bullshit to milk the marks so GabeN can buy new Aston Martins for his son.
It’s to try and stop or at least limit scalping. 🤦♂️
By advertising “hey we got a limited number of these things. And people are going to pay through the roof for them”?
Now Ford did a similar thing with the Mustang GTD. And I remember that being seen as controversial here on Lemmy. But now Valve is doing it it’s fine.
Car company doing a limited run high performance model? Who said that was controversial? Car companies have been doing that since the beginning of cars. “Homologation special” ain’t exactly a modern term.
It’s not the limited run that was controversial. But that they used the same lottery system Valve is using here.
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