Valve shipped Steam Frame on September 14, 2026 at $1,059 for the 256GB model and $1,299 for 1TB, with Half-Life: Alyx included. You cannot simply buy one. A one-time randomization on September 17 set the reservation and waitlist order, and Valve says anyone signing up after it goes to the back of the waitlist.
In short:
- The price: $1,059 for 256GB and $1,299 for 1TB, inclusive of VAT where it applies.
- The catch: this is a reservation queue, not a store page. Purchase emails start going out on September 18, and late signups join the back of the waitlist.
- Included: one copy of Half-Life: Alyx per device, redeemed in settings.
- Not included: the power supply, at $29. Two accessory kits run $59 and $49.
What Valve published
Valve announced the launch on its Steam Hardware blog on September 14, 2026. The two models are Steam Frame 256GB at 1,059 USD and Steam Frame 1TB at 1,299 USD, with Valve also listing CAD, EUR, GBP, AUD and PLN prices and noting that all of them are inclusive of VAT where applicable.
Valve ships directly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union and Australia, and through the authorized distributor KOMODO in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, with South Korea described as coming soon.
Half-Life: Alyx is included. Valve says the copy is redeemed in settings after logging into the headset, and that only one copy can be redeemed per device, so an owner who already has the game cannot claim a second.
Valve also states that over 100 games are already Steam Frame Standalone Verified.
Why this is a reservation, and how the queue works
The thing most likely to catch a buyer out is that the product page is a signup form.
Signups ran until September 17 at 10 a.m. Pacific, when Valve performed what it calls a one-time randomization to set the reservation and waitlist order. Emails went out that day telling each person which list they are on. The first purchase emails follow on September 18, and a reservation holder then has 72 hours to complete the purchase before it passes to the next person in the queue.
Valve's announcement says it would close signups at that point. Its own FAQ on the Steam Frame page says something narrower. Asked "What if I don't sign up before September 17th at 10 a.m. Pacific?", it answers that "After the one-time randomization at that time, anyone who signs up will be automatically added to the back of the waitlist." The deadline closed the randomization rather than the signup form, so a buyer arriving late joins the back of a queue rather than finding a shut door.
Valve is explicit about why. It writes that a launch starting at a specific day and time "tends to reward bots, people with fast internet connections, talented gaming fingers for quick F5/refresh reactions, and those who can schedule their life around that moment". Accepting signups over several days removes the incentive to be first.
Three conditions apply. The account must be in good standing, it must have made a purchase on Steam before April 27, 2026, and there is one signup per household, which Valve says it enforces using payment method and shipping address. Buyers choose 256GB or 1TB at signup, each model has its own list, and the lists are separated into North America, the United Kingdom and European Union, and Australia.
The price, and the warning that came before it
Valve told buyers this was coming, seven months earlier and in plain terms.
On February 4, 2026 it opened its hardware blog by answering neither of the two questions it knew everyone had, writing that "the limited availability and growing prices of these critical components mean we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing (especially around Steam Machine and Steam Frame)". The components were memory and storage.
That is the same shortage running through the rest of the hardware market this year. Meta raised Quest prices on April 19, 2026 citing the global surge in memory chip prices, and Counterpoint Research then attributed part of a falling VR market to that increase, which our report on Q2 2026 shipments covers in full.
Valve revisited the pricing and did not announce the result until the day it shipped. A $1,059 headset is not a mass-market device, and it arrives into a market Counterpoint measured as 18% smaller year over year.
Did Valve make its window
Only just, and only against the second window it gave.
In February the stated goal was shipping all three products in the first half of the year. Steam Frame did not make that. On June 4, 2026 Valve said Steam Machine and Steam Frame were "both of which are shipping this summer". Steam Machine shipped at the end of June. Steam Frame shipped on September 14, in the closing days of the northern summer.
Two windows, one missed and one met with little room, and no price attached to either until the day of launch.
What it costs beyond the headline
Three first-party accessories are sold separately, and Valve makes them available only as an add-to-cart option at checkout for people who have received a purchase email.
| Accessory | Price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| PSU | $29 | 45W power supply with a 2.5m cable |
| Ergonomic Accessories Kit | $59 | Two controller hand straps and battery doors, a headset top strap, an extended light blocker |
| Accessory Replacement Kit | $49 | A face gasket, a head cushion, a standard light blocker |
The power supply is the one to note. A headset that arrives without a way to charge it puts the real entry price at $1,088 rather than $1,059, and the accessory is not purchasable except at that one checkout.
Related reading. Our comparison of current XR headsets carries the checked prices for everything else on sale, and the Meta Quest lineup reference documents the April price rise that the same component shortage produced.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How much does Steam Frame cost?
$1,059 for the 256GB model and $1,299 for the 1TB model, as published by Valve on September 14, 2026. Valve states the prices are inclusive of VAT where applicable.
2. Can I buy a Steam Frame right now?
Not directly. Valve is using a reservation queue. Signups ran until September 17 at 10 a.m. Pacific and a one-time randomization set the reservation and waitlist order at that point. Valve's FAQ says anyone signing up after it is added to the back of the waitlist. Purchase emails begin on September 18.
3. Does Steam Frame come with Half-Life: Alyx?
Yes. Valve includes one copy per device, redeemed in settings after logging into the headset. Only one copy can be redeemed per device.
4. Do I need anything else to use it?
A power supply is sold separately at $29, as an add-to-cart option at checkout for buyers who have received a purchase email. Two further accessory kits are offered at $59 and $49.
5. Where does Valve ship Steam Frame?
Directly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union and Australia, and through the distributor KOMODO in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, with South Korea described as coming soon.
