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Valve Index vs Valve Steam Frame

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

ValveIndexValveSteam Frame
Overview
ReleasedJune 2019September 2026
Display
Resolution per eye1440 × 16002160 × 2160
PanelLCDLCD
Refresh rate144 Hz144 Hz
Field of view–110° horizontal
Display detailsDual 1440 × 1600 LCDs, full RGB per pixel; ultra-low persistence global backlight (0.330 ms at 144 Hz); 80, 90, 120 Hz and experimental 144 HzTwo 2160 × 2160 LCD panels, one per eye; 72, 80, 90, 120 and 144 Hz (144 Hz experimental)
LensesDouble-element, canted lenses; Valve says typical users see 20° more field of view than the HTC Vive, and doesn't give a figureCustom 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)58–70 mm, physical adjustment; eye relief also adjustable60–70 mm target range, adjusted with a wheel on top of the headset
Tracking and input
Eye trackingNoYes
Hand trackingNoNo
Controllers in the box–Yes
Colour passthroughYesNo
SensorsOutside-in; SteamVR 2.0 sensors, compatible with SteamVR 1.0 and 2.0 base stationsInside-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)
ControllersValve Index Controllers with per-finger capacitive tracking; the headset also works with HTC Vive and Vive Pro controllersSteam 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
PassthroughStereo 960 × 960 global-shutter RGB (Bayer) camerasMonochrome 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
Connections5 m tether with a 1 m breakaway trident connector; DisplayPort 1.2, USB 3.0 and 12 V power; USB 3 Type-A port in the front expansion slotStreams 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)809 g440 g
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
Audio37.5 mm off-ear Balanced Mode Radiators (40 Hz–24 kHz, 6 ohm); 3.5 mm headphone out; dual microphone arrayDual speaker drivers per ear built into the headstrap; dual microphone array
StrapAdjustable head size, face angle and speaker position; rear cradle adapter included; magnetic quick-swap face gasketModular 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 boxHeadset (sold alone, with controllers, or as the VR Kit with two SteamVR 2.0 base stations); Half-Life: Alyx includedHeadset, 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

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