Valve’s Steam Frame VR Headset Will Support Android Games
Valve announced today that its new Steam Frame wireless VR headset will be compatible with Android games, expanding the potential library of titles available to users.
The company is working to create a seamless experience where players “don’t even have to think about” whether a game is designed for Steam or Android, according to Valve. The Steam Frame will utilize existing Android APKs – the package format used for Android applications – meaning developers already porting games to platforms like Meta Quest can easily adapt their work. Valve is launching a developer kit program to facilitate this process, noting the headset’s Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon chip can run Android apps without translation despite running SteamOS.
“Developers used to developing for Meta Quest and Android phones are already familiar with how to make those APKs,” explained Valve engineer Jeremy Selan, “and are now free to bring those [games] to Steam, and they’ll just work on this device.” This move significantly broadens the potential content available on the Steam Frame, potentially attracting a wider audience to VR gaming. For more on virtual reality technology, see Road to VR.
The Steam Frame was unveiled alongside a new Steam controller and a next-generation Steam Machine earlier today. All three products will initially ship to the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan – the same regions currently served by the Steam Deck. Pricing and specific launch dates are still to be determined.
Valve officials stated they will share further details regarding pricing and availability as soon as possible.
Valve has announced its new wireless VR headset, Steam Frame, will support Android games.
In an interview with The Verge (thanks, Game Developer), Valve revealed it was working to ensure players “don’t even have to think about” whether the game is native to Steam or Android, saying, “from the user’s perspective, our preference is that […] they just have their titles on Steam, they download them and hit play.”
This is because Steam Frame can use the same Android APKs developers already use to port mobile titles to Android-based devices like Meta Quest. Valve is even launching a Steam Frame developer kit program to support this, stating that while SteamOS differs from Android, it will nonetheless be able to run Android apps on its Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon chip without needing translation.
According to Valve engineer Jeremy Selan, this means developers used to developing for Meta Quest and Android phones are “already familiar with how to make those APKs,” and are “now free to bring those [games] to Steam, and they’ll just work on this device.”
Earlier today, Valve announced three new hardware products: a new Steam Frame VR headset and controllers, a new Steam controller, and a next-gen Steam Machine.
All three products will ship to the same regions currently able to purchase Steam Decks – US, Canada, UK, Europe, and Australia – as well as regions covered by Komodo, which include Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Specific pricing and launch dates have yet to be finalised.
