Linus Tech Tips Steam Frame Unboxing & First Impressions Leaks Ahead of Official Launch

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Linus Tech Tips’ secondary channel ShortCircuit appears to have jumped the gun on publishing its first impressions and unboxing of Steam Frame, suggesting we’re truly now right around the corner from launch.

Valve’s first standalone headset is coming very soon, it seems, as the LTT side channel ShortCircuit mistakenly released its unboxing and first impressions video yesterday.

Entitled ‘Our first 30 mins with the steam frame’, the video was quickly made private, although some users had just enough time to grab the video and rehost it across the Internet.

You can see a mirror of the now deleted video below:

DELETED STEAM FRAME REVIEW pic.twitter.com/FwAdgVG1l8

— rescueditem (@rescueditem) September 12, 2026

In case you can’t stick around for the full 17-minute video, which largely lines up with prior preview coverage, here’s the most important bits:

• The video still doesn’t confirm price or release date of Steam Frame—two of the most important announcements the XR industry has been salivating over for the better part of a year.
• It does confirm is that an Ergonomics Accessories Kit will cost an additional $60, which includes an extra head strap and ‘Knuckles’ style straps for the controllers.
• Controllers are also shown to ship with user-replaceable AA batteries, which are said to offer up to 40-hours of gameplay.
• It also speculates with a measure of confidence that a standalone version of Half-Life: Alyx (2020) is coming, although it doesn’t attribute official Valve information to this claim, but rather a Reddit post sourcing a backend changelog.

Condensing Linus’ physical impressions of Steam Frame: he found it basically in line with Valve Index, although improved due to better on-head weight distribution and imperceptible wireless streaming, which appears to have seamlessly replaced any need for a cable thanks to Steam Frame’s supplied WiFi PC dongle.

Courtesy ‘ZamnBoii’

He also mentions perks like expandable SD storage and a physical interpupilary distance (IPD) lock so it doesn’t get thrown out of whack during gameplay.

As glowing as the prelaunch hands-on seems, Linus was less enthused by the controllers’ ABXY buttons, Frame’s LCD panels’ color fringing despite being overall very sharp, and the headset’s monochrome passthrough, which he notes includes some obvious stitching lines.

As the video wraps up, Linus says the official LTT channel will be posting a full review, which—provided it doesn’t also break embargo—will surely come amid a host of others.

In terms of severity, it’s actually not a massive leak; certainly no worse than Valve leaking its own setup and unboxing video last month, or its mélange of backend changes that the public has been able to easily decipher, including the revelation that Frame may arrive with a free copy of Half-Life: Alyx.

Whatever the case, the last two bits of info still seem to be under collective lock and key: price and release date, which we’re hoping to learn more about soon.

Looking for more Steam Frame news?

Steam Frame vs. Valve Index Specs: Wireless VR Gameplay That’s Generations Ahead: Valve Index used to be the go-to PC VR headset, but the times have changed.

Hands-on: Steam Frame Reveals Valve’s Modern Vision for VR and Growing Hardware Ambitions: We go hands-on with Valve’s latest and greatest VR headset yet.

Valve Says No New First-party VR Game is in Development: Valve launched Half-Life: Alyx (2020) a few months after releasing Index, but no such luck for first-party content on Steam Frame.

Valve is Open to Bringing SteamOS to Third-party VR Headsets: Steam Frame is the first VR headset to run SteamOS, but it may not be the last.

Valve Announces SteamOS Console and New Steam Controller, Designed with Steam Frame Headset in Mind: Find out why Valve’s new SteamOS-running Console and controller will work seamlessly with Steam Frame.

Steam Frame vs. Quest 3 Specs: Better Streaming, Power & Hackability: Quest 3 can do a lot, but can it go toe-to-toe with Steam Frame?

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Valve Drops Big SteamVR Update Ahead of Steam Frame Launch

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Valve has dropped a sizeable update to SteamVR, paving the way for what appears to be imminent launch of its long-awaited standalone VR headset, Steam Frame.

Update (September 11th, 2026): Previously available only in beta, Valve has now released its 2.17 SteamVR update for all users. You can check out the full changelog here.

Original Article (July 18th, 2026): Valve’s latest update brings a good slate of standard Steam features to SteamVR. And with it, the VR runtime is ostensibly shaping up to offer a more VR-native user experience, in part thanks to its new UI for SteamVR’s Dashboard.

According to the update’s patch notes, users who opt-in to the Steam Client Beta will essentially have a more useful Dashboard, as it brings Steam Deck-style Quick Access controls, as well as easier access to things like achievements, guides, and notes.

Valve says the update also improves usability with easier overlay management, better battery information, and brightness controls.

Courtesy Valve

For those of us waiting for years, the latest SteamVR update suggests we really are finally rounding the bend, as Valve has not only obviously imported tons of Steam Frame headsets into the US in preparation for release, but is now tightening SteamVR’s long-neglected UI for something seemingly ready for prime time.

What’s more, Valve recently released a ‘Great on Frame’ page that highlights a growing list of optimized VR and non-VR games that are guaranteed to work on Steam Frame.

Still, the top two bits of information are missing: price and exact release date. Provided Steam Machine is any indication, which launched at a much higher-than-expected $1,050 last month, it’s likely Steam Frame will be similarly inflated—all of it due to the global RAM and storage crisis going on currently.

Looking for more Steam Frame news?

Valve Unveils Steam Frame VR headset to Make Your Entire Steam Library Portable: Valve shows off Steam Frame, the standalone headset that can stream and natively play your entire Steam library—with only a few caveats right now.

Hands-on: Steam Frame Reveals Valve’s Modern Vision for VR and Growing Hardware Ambitions: We go hands-on with Valve’s latest and greatest VR headset yet.

Valve Says No New First-party VR Game is in Development: Valve launched Half-Life: Alyx (2020) a few months after releasing Index, but no such luck for first-party content on Steam Frame.

Valve is Open to Bringing SteamOS to Third-party VR Headsets: Steam Frame is the first VR headset to run SteamOS, but it may not be the last.

Valve Plans to Offer Steam Frame Dev Kits to VR Developers: Steam Frame isn’t here yet; Valve says it needs more time with developers first so they can optimize their PC VR games.

Valve Announces SteamOS Console and New Steam Controller, Designed with Steam Frame Headset in Mind: Find out why Valve’s new SteamOS-running Console and controller will work seamlessly with Steam Frame.

Steam Frame vs. Quest 3 Specs: Better Streaming, Power & Hackability: Quest 3 can do a lot, but can it go toe-to-toe with Steam Frame?

Steam Frame vs. Valve Index Specs: Wireless VR Gameplay That’s Generations Ahead : Valve Index used to be the go-to PC VR headset, but the times have changed.

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Meta’s Next-gen MR Headset Appears to Have Leaked Ahead of Connect

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Images of Meta’s ‘Project Phoenix’ mixed reality headset appear to have leaked ahead of its anticipated unveiling at Connect later this month.

The News

Serial leaker ‘Luna’ appears to have found video within Quest’s Horizon OS showing off the headset’s prescription lenses, which are apparently set to be released in partnership by Meta’s official prescription lens provider, Zenni Optical.

First official visuals of Meta's Project Phoenix, found in the HorizonOS Prescription Lens firmware package! pic.twitter.com/YmN0SCJNCD

— Luna (@Lunayian) September 10, 2026

It also gives us our first look at Phoenix following the leak of a setup video in July/ Although conveniently blurred, it’s unmistakably Meta’s forthcoming slim and light standalone mixed reality headset.

Interestingly, the new images appear to reveal that Phoenix will have both sideways and downward-facing sensors, present on the outer and underside of the headset’s temple. It’s uncertain what the downward-facing sensors could be used for, although some suggest it may be used in face tracking.

Courtesy Luna

As previously seen in the July leaks, Phoenix also features independent lens spacing, removable nose clips for individual user comfort, and built-in hand and eye-tracking, which all but confirms there will also be front-facing sensors and sensors embedded close to the user’s eyes as well.

Another tacit confirmation: although Phoenix still lacks an official name, price and release date, the images confirm we’re dealing with Meta’s next-gen follow-up to Quest 3/3S; the headset offers a hybrid design, presenting a near glasses-like profile by offloading compute to a cable-tethered unit—still to be revealed.

Notably, an image near the end of the recent video shows the tether trailing off the left temple (the QR code seen below appears to be a mock-up).

Courtesy Luna

If the cadence of leaks is any indication, we’re hoping to learn more at Meta Connect later this month, which is set to kick off on September 23–24, 2026.

There, Meta is also likely to show off a new pair of smart glasses in addition to “the latest in VR, wearables, metaverse, and AI.”

My Take

I don’t expect to see Phoenix get the big ‘Quest 4’ naming badge when it launches, primarily because everything I’ve seen up to this point indicates the company is pivoting away from the its metaverse ambitions and game-focused consumer segment, and looking towards prosumers and enterprise.

To boot, Meta has shuttered internal XR game studios, cancelled several AAA VR games in progress, and positioned its Reality Labs XR division to work primarily on AI wearables, including Meta Glasses.

Meta Glasses | Courtesy Meta

And while Phoenix may even come along with Touch controller support, giving it de facto access to Quest’s library of VR games and apps, I feel the company is finally attempting to make a general computing platform that will rival Apple Vision Pro—if not in specs, at least in its intended ethos.

As it is, Meta appears to be reducing the main friction points for XR users looking to replace their traditional monitors, which will undoubtedly come at a price well beyond the cheap and cheerful Quest 3S. Meta’s also likely to make overtures to developers looking to use Phoenix as a developer kit for the creation of augmented reality apps, as Phoenix is surely set to front run any such dedicated AR device from Meta.

We’re of course looking to confirm this (and a lot more) at Connect from September 22-23rd, as we’ll have boots on the ground at Meta’s Menlo Park HQ where the event will take place.

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‘In Death: Unchained’ Gets New Season Starting This Month After 2 Years of Silence

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Award-winning rogue-lite bow-shooter In Death: Unchained (2020) isn’t dead, at least not with a new season coming later this month.

The last actual update for In Death: Unchained was three years ago when developers Superbright announced it was releasing enhancements for Quest 3. After that, it was assumed the game was essentially in developer purgatory.

Now, the studio announced that come September 29th, In Death: Unchained is getting its Fall 2026 Season. Like seasons past, the game is slated to reset every leaderboard, although achievement progress stays with you into the new season.

That said, the studio hasn’t actually announced any new content, although they promise they’ll have “more news to share later,” which hopefully means there’s more on the horizon than simply news that its Summer 2024 season is coming to a close.

Notably, the original version of In Death on Steam hasn’t received any updates since developer Sólfar Studios transferred the IP to Superbright, which took place sometime in 2019; this may cast doubt on the game ever being optimized to run on the soon-to-release Steam Frame.

As it is, In Death: Unchained is available on the Horizon Store for Quest 3/3S for $30, as well as freely available for Horizon+ subscribers. It’s also on the Pico Store for Pico 3 and 4 series headsets, as well as the upcoming Space Pro.

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‘No Man’s Sky’ Brings a Whole New Universe of Possibilities in Cosmos Update

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Hello Games has released its biggest update yet to VR-supported space sim No Man’s Sky (2016), completely overhauling space itself.

At the game’s 2016 launch, space was admittedly barebones, offering relatively sparse interactions outside mining asteroids for fuel and resources, and occasionally encountering pirates or other ships. And while there have been 40+ updates since then, space always felt a little more empty than it rightfully should.

The game, which supports PSVR 2 and PC VR headsets, just got its ‘Cosmos’ update in celebration of its 10th anniversary though, bringing a whole new take on space travel and what you might find in between planet runs.

Now, in Cosmos, you can claim and personalize a space station, join an alliance, construct a space base, strip hulking wrecks for loot, and take on a new set of missions.

You’ll also find new asteroid belts of rock and ice, which can be tapped for valuable crystal resources or be the platform for your very own star base.

“Build your own truck stop for star ships, orbital restaurant, or military outpost. There’s something incredibly special about floating in space, planets looming large below you, watching the universe go by,” the studio says in a PlayStation blog post.

Notably, Cosmos is No Man’s Sky 7.0 update, something Hello Games CEO Sean Murray calls “real endgame stuff.” That said, the studio hasn’t said when it will push the game’s final update; Hello Games announced in 2023 it was working on Light No Fire, an open-world fantasy survival game thus far only confirmed for release on flatscreen systems.

You can learn more about the latest update by checking out the changelog and by watching the deep dive interview with Murray below.

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TikTok Parent Reportedly Building AI Model to Rival Google’s Genie for Real-Time Spatial Video

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TikTok parent ByteDance is reportedly preparing an AI model that could let you create real-time spatial videos similar to Google Genie.

According to a Bloomberg report, ByteDance is readying an AI model dedicated to creating real-time spatial videos, which the company hopes will act as a “flywheel” to its various companies, including video streaming giant TikTok and its XR hardware subsidiary, Pico Interactive.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the report maintains founder Zhang Yiming is personally overseeing the development as it nears launch as soon as next month.

The AI model is thought to work similar to Google’s Genie, which not only generates interactive virtual environments in real-time, but also can simulate physical environments for AI agents.

Notably, Zhang reportedly sees the tech as a major component linking the company’s existing AI models and cloud computing resources with its content platforms and XR headset subsidiary, Pico Interactive.

The report maintains the model is being built on Seedance, the company’s AI model for generating cinematic videos.

There’s no word on timing outside of that “as soon as next month” window, however Pico delayed the reveal of its upcoming Apple Vision Pro competitor, Space Pro, due to “spend[ing] more time on a major upgrade to the software experience.”

Leaked ‘Project Swan’ render | Courtesy Luna

It’s unclear whether ByteDance’s real-time spatial video model is the main reasoning behind the delay, or something else.

Speculatively speaking, Pico may also be facing issues as Valve upcoming Steam Frame standalone headset, which is primarily due to the ongoing global component shortage—seeing RAM, storage, and reportedly also now Qualcomm SoCs prices skyrocket.

The company says it will unveil Pico Space Pro sometime in Q4, so we’re hoping to learn more soon, as Q4 is due to officially start October 1st.

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Pico Space Pro Clears FCC Following Cancelled September Reveal

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Pico’s upcoming Apple Vision Pro competitor, Space Pro, was initially meant to debut earlier this month, although the ByteDance subsidiary cancelled the event and postponed its reveal and release date. Now, the company’s next flagship standalone XR headset just cleared the FCC.

Previously known as ‘Project Swan’, Pico Space Pro has now surfaced in FCC filings, which is typically one of the last hurdles before a company can commercialize electronics in the US. The news was first reported by UploadVR.

At the event, which was supposed to take place on September 2nd in Beijing, we were hoping to see a more complete spec sheet, as well as learn the price and release date. That said, much is already known about the device, which is referred to in the filings as a ‘Mixed Reality Computer’.

Leaked ‘Project Swan’ render | Courtesy Luna

Space Pro is set to include microOLED displays boasting 4,000 pixels per inch (PPI), an average ~40 pixels per degree (PPD), and a dual-chip architecture: a custom XR silicon for perception and imaging (claimed ~12 ms perception latency) and separate flagship SoC with “more than 2× CPU and GPU performance vs XR2 Gen 2.”

Pico hasn’t specified exactly when it plans on rescheduling Space Pro’s reveal, although the company says we should expect launch sometime in Q4 2026.

Although the company maintains the delay was to “spend more time on a major upgrade to the software experience,” the timing suggests Space Pro may also be affected by the global component shortage, which has not only seen RAM and storage prices skyrocket, reportedly now Qualcomm SoCs too.

As it is, Pico seems to be taking a slower, more deliberate approach to launch though. When it cancelled the device’s reveal (just one week before the actual event), the company announced it was instead expanding its ‘Global Early Access Program’ closed beta to a number of hand-picked testers, which includes sending pre-production units and software to applicants.

Pico Space Pro isn’t only set to compete against Apple Vision Pro, but also Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset—the first to run Google’s Android XR processing system—in addition to Valve’s Steam Frame, which still doesn’t have a price or release.

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