Correct, the only idiotic thing about VR is buying your hardware from Mark Zuckerberg. As the folks in the VR community here are already aware, I got my Steam Frame the other day and basically the only reason I’ve had to take it off my face since then is because the thing has a finite battery life.
It’s a good product that doesn’t request you to sell your soul to use it. It’s definitely expensive but for people who have that money and are into VR it’s the best thing ever.
I’m on the waitlist and can’t wait to get my hands on it. I’m a gamer since the 80s, and it’s the first VR device i actually can’t wait to get my hands on. The prospect of getting a VR headset that is as well supported as any valve hardware while not spying on me is simply great. If others are like me, it explains a lot why the line is so long.
Edit: My specific use case is as an replacement for a large TV for playing games on. It takes less space and is less invasive than any Smart-TV nowadays.
It also has the valve factor. In a landscape that consumer electronics and anti consumer, it’s more alluring to buy something you might not need if it’s not enshitified.
For example, I don’t really need a steam controller but boy do I want one.
I wish it was flying. I managed to get on the reservation list (not waitlist) and two weeks later I am still waiting for my turn to even order one. Valve seems completely overwhelmed with the demand. Good for them I guess but come on, I haaaate waiting.
Can you explain why you love it so much? I was going to give it away to my friend that did not win the lottery after only a day.
Battery life is terrible.
Interface outside of games is super unintuitive imnho. I still can’t figure out how to actually move the central window or right clock in desktop mode.
I also can’t figure out how to install apks. I want to install android plex.
And the game I had super high expectations for, the 11 table tennis is meh.
Overall my experience has been very sweaty and frustrating.
I’m genuinely curious if it really sucks or I’m just not the target audience. I really wanted to love it, but I find it not worth the money at all. Like $500 maybe would’ve been ok. To be clear, I’m very technical - both professionally and as a hobby.
You can move the main center window and the dashboard bar by grabbing the long skinny horizontal stripe beneath either them, same as moving any other floating window. Unless you hit “float in world” on the center window the dashboard/taskbar/clock will remain pinned to the bottom of it.
The inverse L shaped grab handle on the lower right of any window allows you to resize it. When you are holding it, pushing the analog stick forward or back will move it closer to you or farther away.
Word on the street is that you can use FrameDrop to put .apks (and other executables) into your Frame’s library. I haven’t had occasion to try it; my main interest in onboard software has been regular productivity-ish apps that run natively in Linux. I stream actual games from my desktop PC, which is approximately three million times more powerful than the Frame itself.
I’ve got a 100W charger with a long cable and a 50000mAh power bank for the go. The hotswappable battery pack they said they will release is nice, but it’s not a have-to-buy thingy.
Think Valve said something about that in the future. Also you can use a power bank while using was also mentioned. If I’ll get the money I’m definitely buying steam frame rather than to buy spy hardware.
And all the joy of also being a small Linux computer, still with the eyeballs thing. Hit “desktop” in the hotbar on the bottom and you’re looking at a KDE environment.
Most programs can also be opened into a separate full-screen styled floating window you can stick wherever in virtual space, independent of the base desktop.
Correct, the only idiotic thing about VR is buying your hardware from Mark Zuckerberg. As the folks in the VR community here are already aware, I got my Steam Frame the other day and basically the only reason I’ve had to take it off my face since then is because the thing has a finite battery life.
It’s funny how people were comparing the Frame to Quest, saying it’s DOA because of the price, niche device only for a few enthusiasts.
Meanwhile, the Frame is flying off the shelves and the waitlist seems to be twice as long as the number of the units available. :(
It turns out there really is a market for a standalone capable wireless headset provided that it actually respects your privacy.
It’s a good product that doesn’t request you to sell your soul to use it. It’s definitely expensive but for people who have that money and are into VR it’s the best thing ever.
I’m on the waitlist and can’t wait to get my hands on it. I’m a gamer since the 80s, and it’s the first VR device i actually can’t wait to get my hands on. The prospect of getting a VR headset that is as well supported as any valve hardware while not spying on me is simply great. If others are like me, it explains a lot why the line is so long.
Edit: My specific use case is as an replacement for a large TV for playing games on. It takes less space and is less invasive than any Smart-TV nowadays.
It also has the valve factor. In a landscape that consumer electronics and anti consumer, it’s more alluring to buy something you might not need if it’s not enshitified.
For example, I don’t really need a steam controller but boy do I want one.
I wish it was flying. I managed to get on the reservation list (not waitlist) and two weeks later I am still waiting for my turn to even order one. Valve seems completely overwhelmed with the demand. Good for them I guess but come on, I haaaate waiting.
Man, don’t even get me started. I’m on the waitlist, so I don’t expect to get my hands on it within a year…
You don’t really want any more battery than absolutely necessary strapped to your face. Put a power bank in your pocket for longer sessions.
Given that the battery in the Frame is not readily swappable, that’s your only choice. I’m already on it, of course.
I found a Meta Quest 2 at a thrift store for 20 bucks. It needed a new face cushion so I ordered one online and a Meta Quest 3S showed up instead.
So, like, hopefully one day they’ll be CFW for it.
Most of us can’t drop 1k+ on a headset. My oculus which I got for 300 is still going strong after 2 years. And no, you don’t need a FB account.
Can you explain why you love it so much? I was going to give it away to my friend that did not win the lottery after only a day.
Battery life is terrible. Interface outside of games is super unintuitive imnho. I still can’t figure out how to actually move the central window or right clock in desktop mode. I also can’t figure out how to install apks. I want to install android plex. And the game I had super high expectations for, the 11 table tennis is meh.
Overall my experience has been very sweaty and frustrating. I’m genuinely curious if it really sucks or I’m just not the target audience. I really wanted to love it, but I find it not worth the money at all. Like $500 maybe would’ve been ok. To be clear, I’m very technical - both professionally and as a hobby.
You can move the main center window and the dashboard bar by grabbing the long skinny horizontal stripe beneath either them, same as moving any other floating window. Unless you hit “float in world” on the center window the dashboard/taskbar/clock will remain pinned to the bottom of it.
The inverse L shaped grab handle on the lower right of any window allows you to resize it. When you are holding it, pushing the analog stick forward or back will move it closer to you or farther away.
Word on the street is that you can use FrameDrop to put .apks (and other executables) into your Frame’s library. I haven’t had occasion to try it; my main interest in onboard software has been regular productivity-ish apps that run natively in Linux. I stream actual games from my desktop PC, which is approximately three million times more powerful than the Frame itself.
Swappable battery back?
I’ve got a 100W charger with a long cable and a 50000mAh power bank for the go. The hotswappable battery pack they said they will release is nice, but it’s not a have-to-buy thingy.
Think Valve said something about that in the future. Also you can use a power bank while using was also mentioned. If I’ll get the money I’m definitely buying steam frame rather than to buy spy hardware.
All the joy of Steam, pumped directly into my eyeballs? Yes, please.
And all the joy of also being a small Linux computer, still with the eyeballs thing. Hit “desktop” in the hotbar on the bottom and you’re looking at a KDE environment.
Most programs can also be opened into a separate full-screen styled floating window you can stick wherever in virtual space, independent of the base desktop.