Steam Frame Sets Valve’s VR Foundations In Linux

At 1 p.m. Friday I ignored my Mac and iPad to record a podcast with VR investor Tipatat Chennavasin using Chromium downloaded from Flathub in Linux on the Steam Frame. I attached my USB microphone through a hub to the USB-C port on the back of the headset.

My preferred USB hub is $20 on Amazon with key features I’ve found useful for standalone VR headsets. The hub passes through power, includes a four foot USB-C extension for plugging into the main device, and it includes both USB-A ports and a USB-C port for additional accessories. I put a yellow sticker next to the USB-C power-in port so it’s easy to see in passthrough which one to connect for additional juice. I prefer the hub because it solves multiple VR usability issues when used in tandem with a shoulder bag. I usually wear the shoulder bag while in VR with additional accessories at the ready. The headset also goes back inside when not in use. I use a folding keyboard when I need to type more than a few letters into a virtual keyboard and a battery pack to eliminate power anxiety without adding head weight. VR headsets should be cared for like a combination of camera and glasses, so I store Steam Frame in a Good VR bag to protect it from dust and scrapes inside of the larger shoulder bag.

For my podcast recording, I turned off sharing my view to Chrome so I wouldn’t violate my embargo by showing Chennavasin through the high resolution color passthrough of the Arcturus Industries’ $149 Vision Camera plugged into the nose port. I connected over Bluetooth to AirPods Pro 2 to avoid audio feedback into the microphone. No longer thinking about the presence of a laptop meant putting the microphone closer to my face while keeping the podcast settings window at a more comfortable viewing angle.

In the afternoon on Friday I wrote an article in Steam Frame using the folding keyboard and emailed Good Virtual Reality subscribers breaking news about Moss development studio Polyarc laying off dozens of employees. A few hours later it hurt to see Polyarc’s games in the “Great on Frame” section of Steam. At dusk I shot 60 frames per second 5K HDR spatial video in Central Park. That’s double the frame rate Apple Vision Pro captures.

By 1 a.m. Saturday I had filled roughly half the internal storage of the headset with downloaded apps, games, and recorded video. I lay down in my physical bed while also in City 17 from Half-Life: Alyx. I had Chrome tabs open so I could switch between streaming TV or movies from either Disney Plus, HBO Max or Apple TV+ subscription services floating in the air.

I ended the day putting the headset into the drawer next to my bed.