Valve Index 2 VR headset rumors heat up as Steam Frame name surfaces

Valve has just trademarked the term Steam Frame, with huge speculation now afoot that it could be the name for the company's next-gen hardware device. Valve hasn't commented publicly, but a dataminer has already uncovered a possible SteamVR link, with the trademark potentially pointing to a new standalone headset to rival the Meta Quest.

It's been over five years since Valve released a VR headset for Steam gamers, which we tested at the time in our Valve Index review. While the company has undoubtedly been focused on making the Steam Deck a success, it looks like it could now be looking back towards VR, with hardware that could well rival the models in our best VR headset guide if this rumor turns out to be true.

First spotted on Reddit, Valve has made two applications to the US Patent and Trademark Office for Steam Frame. The first, filed on September 2, confirms a trademark registration that is "intended to cover the categories of computer hardware," with hardware, networking, peripherals, and software all mentioned.

The second, filed on the same date, confirms a trademark that is "intended to cover the categories of computer game consoles for recreational game playing." Game consoles, along with game controllers, are also mentioned in the filing.

There's nothing to suggest in the filings that Valve is working on anything VR-related. However, SadlyItsBradley, who has also commented on the recent Valve Fremont leak, which suggested the company was working on a Steam OS game console, has already found links to "Frames" branding in the latest SteamVR beta, sharing his findings in this recent post on X (formerly Twitter).

As we reported this week, Meta's VR dominance on Steam for VR could be the perfect time for Valve to push back with a new VR headset. It's been almost exactly two years since a Valve Index 2 leak suggested that such a device, codenamed Deckard, was on the way. Meanwhile, more recent Steam Controller 2 rumors also suggested that the company was working on new VR controllers, possibly as part of a complete VR package.

While a trademark submission doesn't necessarily guarantee that Valve intends to do anything with the name, the updated references in SteamVR make the possibility a whole lot stronger. We'll have to wait and see what the company is cooking up, as Valve hasn't announced anything publicly - at least, not yet.

Until it does, make sure to check out our best handheld guide, as well as our Steam Deck OLED review, to see why Valve's current handheld hardware is so popular among gamers.

Excited for a Valve Index successor? Start up a conversation in our Discord server with other readers and staff to let us know what you're expecting to see from any new Valve device.