Ever since the Steam Controller has landed on store shelves, people have been eagerly waiting for the launch of the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, Valve’s newest computer and VR headset, respectively. Well, we don’t have to wait much longer, as the company announced that the two products are arriving “this summer”.
For those living outside the Northern Hemisphere, this means the two devices could launch as early as late June. However, Valve has yet to announce pricing for either the Steam Machine or Steam Frame.
In addition to the release-window reveal, Valve also detailed how the Steam Machine and Steam Frame will be included in the Verified programme. For the uninitiated, the programme launched alongside the Steam Deck and will inform users how a certain game will play on the device. Valve adds that the Verified badge for the Steam Machine is nearly identical to that of the Steam Deck’s.
Meanwhile, Valve notes that, much like the Steam Deck, the Steam Frame Standalone Verified programme will assess how well games perform on the device straight out of the box when running in standalone mode. The company adds “the criteria are similar as well: the default graphics configuration needs to perform well, text and UI elements need to be clear and legible on the built-in display, and the default controller configuration needs to work well with the Steam Frame Controllers. The same test criteria apply to both VR titles and non-VR titles.”
Additionally, Valve has expanded its Steamworks documentation with dedicated developer information pages for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. Among other things, these outline the process for updating existing titles, the requirements for verification, and recommended development practices for the new devices.
(Source: Valve)
