Latest Steam Frame update introduces significant improvements

Valve has released SteamOS 0.3.0, the Steam Frame's first update, three days after the headset's September 14 launch. The update's biggest highlight is the improvement in charging speeds when the device is powered off or sleeping, addressing one of the biggest criticisms in early reviews. Ars Technica, for example, noted that "the headset barely manages to crawl past an hour and a half on a full charge when playing most VR titles in the graphics-maximizing Performance mode."

The update also tackles several other issues. Controller tracking has been improved when haptics are active, while system stability and reliability under heavy loads have been enhanced. A microphone problem producing garbled audio has been fixed, and the per-application Motion Smoothing "Force Always-On" option now works as intended. Furthermore, Valve has refined motion smoothing in Half-Life: Alyx, added a setting for dimming games when the dashboard is visible, and stopped the Play Area screen from automatically displaying boundaries.

For developers, SteamOS 0.3.0 changes the Playable performance criteria to allow games to run at resolutions other than the previous 1440p requirement. Vulkan-layer fixes are intended to improve compatibility, while additional operating-system and Mesa graphics improvements target overall performance. The update arrives as Steam Frame begins reaching its first customers, making the charging fix particularly relevant before wider availability.