HTC VIVE Pro vs Valve Steam Frame

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

VIVE Pro compared with Steam Frame
HTCVIVE ProValveSteam Frame
Overview
ReleasedApril 2018September 2026
Display
Resolution per eye1440 × 16002160 × 2160 (better)
PanelOLEDLCD
Refresh rate90 Hz144 Hz (better)
Field of view–110° horizontal
Display detailsDual 3.5-inch AMOLED displays; 1440 × 1600 per eye at 90 Hz. HTC's stated 110° field of view has no specified axis.Two 2160 × 2160 LCD panels, one per eye; 72, 80, 90, 120 and 144 Hz (144 Hz experimental)
LensesFresnel lenses retained from original VIVE (Ars Technica); eye relief adjusts separatelyCustom pancake lenses with glass and non-glass elements; field of view up to 110° (Valve gives 110° horizontal and vertical to UploadVR); eyeglasses up to 140 mm wide
Lens spacing (IPD)Physical lens-spacing knob with on-screen distance indication; manufacturer range omitted because not established60–70 mm target range, adjusted with a wheel on top of the headset
Tracking and input
Eye trackingNoYes
Hand trackingYesNo
Controllers in the boxNoYes
Colour passthroughYesNo
SensorsSteamVR Tracking 1.0 and 2.0 compatible; external base stations required. VIVE Hand Tracking SDK supports controller-free tracking in compatible apps. Original Pro has no built-in eye tracking; Pro Eye is a separate model.Inside-out; 4 outward-facing monochrome cameras for headset and controller tracking with IR illuminators for low light; 2 interior cameras for eye tracking and foveated streaming; no controller-free hand tracking (UploadVR)
ControllersOriginal headset-only package excludes controllers and base stations; existing VIVE controllers and base stations can be reused. Later Full Kit includes Controller (2018) and SteamVR Base Stations 2.0.Steam Frame Controllers with 6-DoF tracking, ABXY buttons (right), D-pad (left), full-size magnetic TMR thumbsticks with capacitive touch, analogue triggers, bumpers, dual-stage grip buttons, capacitive finger tracking and a haptic motor; one AA battery each, about 40 hours; 130 g each with battery
PassthroughTwo front-facing RGB cameras; HTC's SRWorks SDK provides a stereoscopic see-through view and depth sensing. Camera software support was expanded after launch; use requires compatible software and enabling cameras in SteamVR.Monochrome passthrough from the outward-facing cameras; front expansion port (dual MIPI camera interface or PCIe Gen 4 x1) takes accessories such as the Arcturus Vision colour camera
Performance
WorksNeeds a PC or consoleStandalone or with a PC
Chip–Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Storage–256 GB, 1 TB
Chip details–4 nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, ARM64; runs SteamOS 3 (Arch-based) with KDE Plasma desktop
Memory–16 GB unified LPDDR5X; 256 GB or 1 TB UFS storage; microSD card slot
ConnectionsPowered link box connects to PC over DisplayPort 1.2 or newer and USB 3.0; supplied DisplayPort and USB cables. Proprietary headset tether; optional VIVE Wireless Adapter sold separately.Streams from a PC, Steam Deck or Steam Machine over Wi-Fi; headset has Wi-Fi 7 2 × 2 with dual radios (5 GHz Wi-Fi and 6 GHz VR streaming at once); Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz) USB wireless adapter included; Bluetooth 5.4; no DisplayPort cable connection
Design
BatteryNone (powered by a PC or console)Built in
Weight (headset)769 g440 g (better)
Battery details–21.6 Wh Li-ion battery at the back of the headstrap; charges over USB-C 2.0 at up to 45 W (15 V, 3 A); Valve doesn't give a battery life
AudioRemovable on-ear headphones with built-in amplifier; integrated microphones. HTC also supplies Audio SDK support for alert and conversation modes.Dual speaker drivers per ear built into the headstrap; dual microphone array
StrapRigid adjustable headband, rear sizing dial and top strap; 769 g without cable measured by Tom's Hardware. Its complete headset and cable measured 1017 g.Modular headstrap (245 g) holding the speakers and battery; the 185 g core module detaches for other straps; core module and facial interface 175 × 95 × 110 mm
In the boxLaunch headset-only package has headset and cable, face cushion, cleaning cloth, earphone hole caps, link box, power adaptor, DisplayPort cable, USB 3.0 cable and mounting pad; PC, controllers and base stations separateHeadset, two Steam Frame Controllers, Wi-Fi 6E wireless adapter, standard light blocker, face gasket and head cushion; Half-Life: Alyx licence. No power supply; Valve sells a 45 W one separately

More comparisons