Steam Frame's power supply is a $29 extra, and Valve only sells its accessories at checkout
Steam Frame's 45W power supply is a separate $29 item in the US, and Valve sells it, like its two accessory kits, only at checkout. Valve's launch post says all three are sold separately and "will be available as an add-to-cart option only at checkout for those who have received a purchase email".
The Arcturus Vision Camera app over colour passthrough, from the developer's Steam page. Recording is still marked as coming soon. Image: Arcturus Vision
The first purchase emails go out from September 18. Valve's product page FAQ says buyers then have 72 hours to complete the purchase before the reservation passes to the next person in the queue, and that first-party accessories are only available "as part of the add-to-cart process".
Valve's three accessories add $137 in the US
The power supply is a 45W unit with a 2.5m cable, priced at $29 in the US, €39 in the EU and £29 in the UK. Valve's spec sheet lists USB-C charging at 15V and 3A, 45W at most, so the brick matches the headset's maximum charging rate.
The two kits cost more. The Ergonomic Accessories Kit ($59, €69, £59) contains two controller hand straps with battery doors, a headset top strap and an extended light blocker. The Accessory Replacement Kit ($49, €59, £49) holds a spare face gasket, head cushion and standard light blocker.
Together the three items cost $137 in the US. Added to the 256GB model's $1,059, that makes $1,196, against the $999 the Valve Index full kit cost at launch in 2019.
Arcturus Vision adds colour passthrough through the front port
Valve's product page also lists "Steam Frame Compatible" products from other companies, which it says "have been tested to work with Steam Frame". They are not part of Steam's checkout. One is a camera from Arcturus Vision that plugs into the headset's front expansion port, which Valve's spec sheet describes as a dual high-speed camera interface with a one-lane PCIe Gen 4 option.
Steam Frame's own passthrough is monochrome, according to Valve. Arcturus Vision says its module weighs under 10g, uses two 32MP Sony sensors and adds HDR colour passthrough at 60fps by default, with 72 to 144fps possible "with special config". It also records stereo video at up to 5K and 60fps.
Arcturus sells the camera from its own store at $149 in the US, €157 in the EU and £129 in the UK. Its order page says it places a temporary authorisation on the card instead of taking payment while buyers wait on Valve's queue, allows free cancellation before September 20 and limits launch orders to two per customer. Arcturus says orders ship "at the same time as Steam Frame", and the recording button in the screenshots on its Steam app page is still marked "coming soon".
Zenni sells inserts, and Valve sets a glasses limit
The other listed partner is Zenni, which makes prescription lens inserts. Zenni's September 15 press release puts them at $67.95 with single-vision 1.67 high-index lenses and an oil-resistant coating, and says they click in without tools and need no pupillary distance measurement. The release gives only a US price, and says the inserts are made and shipped from Zenni's factory in Ohio.
For people who keep their own glasses on, Valve's spec sheet gives a maximum glasses width of 140mm, alongside an IPD target range of 60 to 70mm.
The add-ons now wait on the same thing as the headset. Valve has not given a Western ship date for Steam Frame, which opened for reservations a week after Steam's backend pointed to an imminent launch, and Arcturus ties its own shipping to Valve's.
