Valve's Steam Frame VR Headset Price Increases Due to Component Costs
Valve's new Steam Frame VR headset will launch at a higher price of $1,059, citing global component market impacts. The company stated it fought to keep costs down.
Valve has announced its Steam Frame VR headset, with a final price of $1,059. The device was initially intended to be more affordable, but global increases in memory and storage market prices have affected production costs.
"We set out to come out with a device that would have been far more affordable, but the global RAM market, the global storage market have impacted us the same way they've impacted everybody," Valve developer Jeremy Selan told the BBC. "We fought hard to get it even to this price."
It remains unconfirmed whether Valve is selling the Steam Frame at cost, as the company stated it was doing with its $1,049 Steam Machine living room PC. However, Valve developer Pierre-Loup Griffais hinted this might be the case in an interview with Tom's Hardware.
The global shortage of components, particularly semiconductors and memory chips, has driven up manufacturing costs for electronics worldwide. This situation has compelled numerous technology firms to adjust product pricing or delay release schedules.