In short: VR users looking for a cheap headset to get their hands on should think about snagging a discounted Valve Index while you can. However, those willing to wait and pay (a lot) more may want to hold off, as recently leaked code suggests a mid-generation Steam Frame update is on the horizon.
Unsurprisingly, Valve has stopped production of its first VR headset, the Index, and has started selling off stock with a 20% discount on the headset and all accessories. Although the company only recently launched the Index’s successor, the Steam Frame, there are already signs of an improved model.
The Index headset is currently available on Steam for $400, while supplies last. The replacement cable is now just $103.20, while the base station and left replacement controller are reduced to $120. The package is no longer available, but the individual components now cost $741 (was $926).
Meta’s Quest 3 and Quest 3S have long since eclipsed the index in both price and performance, but some VR enthusiasts may want to take advantage of the opportunity to purchase a relatively inexpensive headset that doesn’t require a Meta account. And while Valve’s new standalone Steam Frame features more modern hardware, its $1,060 starting price, inflated by the RAM crisis, likely puts it out of reach for many buyers. Meanwhile, the Steam Frame kernel source code, which evlaV mirrored on GitHub, reveals early work on an updated model with OLED lenses and higher frame rates.
The new model, codenamed “Plano,” would replace the current Steam Frame’s 2160×2160 per-eye LCD panels with 3552×3840 OLED displays. The new OLED panels support a refresh rate of 90 Hz, and an experimental 120 Hz mode is in development.
However, because Plano reuses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor from the original Steam Frame, its default operating resolution is limited to 1776×1920, with an experimental 1.5x scaling mode increasing this to 2368×2560. According to Steam Frame Hub, the panels are likely the same MicroOLED displays used in the Samsung Galaxy XR.
To save power and increase performance, Plano would also introduce foveated scaling, leveraging the Steam Frame’s eye-tracking capabilities to detect where users are looking and render only those pixels at native resolution. The current Steam Frame uses eye tracking for foveated streaming, which applies the same basic concept to save bandwidth when streaming software wirelessly from PCs.
The leaked code contains development records from October 2nd, suggesting that Plano is still in development. However, there is no telling how close the update will be to launch.
