Valve accidentally leaks a full unboxing and setup guide for the Steam Frame VR headset

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Valve appears to have jumped the gun on its own marketing this week after a routine update to the ARM version of the Steam Client briefly contained a batch of official Steam Frame videos, including a complete unboxing, a fit and comfort walkthrough, and step by step setup instructions. The company pulled the videos within hours of the update going live, but not before hardware enthusiasts downloaded and reposted all eight clips, giving the internet its clearest look yet at Valve's long awaited standalone VR headset just weeks before what increasingly looks like an imminent launch.

The unboxing video itself runs a little over a minute and opens on a simple cardboard box printed with the words Your games up the side, a detail that fits Valve's established habit of keeping its hardware packaging understated rather than flashy. Inside sits the headset itself, a pair of ergonomic wireless controllers, a magnetic glasses spacer for anyone who needs their eyewear to fit comfortably under the display, a proprietary wireless adapter for PC streaming, a USB-C charging cable, and a printed information booklet walking new owners through the basics.

Other leaked clips cover the more granular day to day mechanics of actually using the thing, including how the IPD wheel on top of the headset adjusts lens spacing for different users, how the pivot arms and head strap can be reconfigured for comfort during longer sessions, and how signing in works through a simple QR code scan from the Steam mobile app rather than a more cumbersome manual login process. A separate video walks through pairing the wireless adapter to either a Steam Machine or a compatible gaming PC, with Valve explaining that streaming can automatically use the dedicated adapter link, the user's home Wi-Fi network, or both simultaneously for the strongest possible low latency connection.

On the hardware side, the leaked material lines up closely with previously reported specs, dual 2160 by 2160 LCD displays running up to 120Hz, a Snapdragon based processor, 16GB of unified memory, expandable storage through a microSD card slot, and a relatively modest 21.6 watt hour battery that will require fairly frequent charging during native standalone use. Valve is also promoting a separate Ergonomic Accessories Kit alongside the base package, adding controller hand straps, an alternate top head strap for better weight distribution, and an extended light blocker aimed at users with smaller facial features.

Valve has still not announced an official price or release date, and this is not the first time observers have called a Steam Frame launch imminent only for the actual announcement to slip further out. But between this leak, a recent FCC equipment authorization filed under a straightforward VR Headset designation, and preliminary SteamOS driver support for the wireless adapter that shipped quietly earlier this month, the pieces genuinely look closer to falling into place than they have at any previous point in the headset's long and heavily rumored development.

Valve Leaks Almost Everything About the Steam Frame, Except for the One Big Thinggizmodo.com