The other day, some backend updates were issued to SteamDB's Steam Frame package pages, marking the first time in months that the hidden retail listings received edits. These are the placeholder, non-published listings, purportedly for the upcoming Valve VR headsets. Now, in the days after these were found, VR leaker SadlyItsBradley has found a reservation system that looks all too familiar.
It looks almost exactly the same as the reservation application that's been used by Valve for its Steam Machine and Steam Controller launches earlier in 2026. Before you ask, you can't access or con the system into ordering your own VR headset yet, as it still isn't live. In fact, as a precautionary measure, the leaked image of the page shows a live date of December, 1969.
Expect nothingIt isn’t ready.. https://t.co/Az1FwxpJZz pic.twitter.com/0pGCfNxzOoSeptember 7, 2026
Other than that, it asks for a Steam account name, the items to be reserved, and says "You have joined the list for - " and then there's a blank - I did tell you these pages were placeholders. The line below says "On 31 December, 1969, the list will be randomized and you will receive an email with your results shortly after."
There's every possibility that this is actually a placeholder, but it's so vague at this point it's hard to put a lot of stock in it.
Truth be told, these new datamines don't tell us an awful lot we don't know already. We knew from its initial reveal that the Steam Frame would have two different SKUs based on storage options. We're sadly no closer to finding out the release date and price of the Steam Frame based on those package page updates on SteamDB.
At this point, I wouldn't put it past Valve to jokingly list 1969 as a release window to taunt us for holding out this long for its second VR headset. On the other hand, this date is frequently cited on Steam and other computer apps as the start of Unix Epoch time. In other words, it's yet more placeholder, probably as a template or a way to ensure there's no live date that could trigger an email being sent to people asking to reserve a VR headset.
What the use of a reservation does tell us is that Valve is fully expecting there to be a high demand and a limited supply of stock when Steam Frame launches. If the leak from SadlyItsBradley is to be believed (I'd take it with a couple pinches of salt, at this point), then Steam Frame could be looking at similar supply issues to the Steam Machine. Personally, I'd hope it wasn't the same case as the controller, in that Valve will still be fulfilling backlogged orders into 2027.
Still, if package updates and reservation systems are appearing in Steam's backend, it could be a definite sign that the VR headset is finally, actually, properly about to launch.
If that sounds uncertain, it's because I've been wrong before - it looked like the stage was set for Valve's new visor to launch earlier in the Summer, and we've been hearing rumours about the headset for longer than the controller or new Steam Machine, so it feels at this point like it could very well be a Half Life 3 situation.
For more, take a look at the best Meta Quest accessories. To upgrade your PC before Steam Frame arrives, dive into the best CPU for gaming, and the best RAM for gaming.
