The Steam Frame comes with its own built-in audio system, but anyone hoping for the same off-ear speakers found on the Valve Index may eventually have another option. Valve has confirmed that it is developing a first-party Steam Frame accessory with premium Index-style off-ear audio, along with another major upgrade for the headset’s battery.

The accessory is possible because Valve designed the Steam Frame to be modular. Its main hardware is housed inside a separate core module containing components such as the processor, memory, storage, and optics. The head strap, meanwhile, contains other parts including the battery, microSD card slot, and speakers.

More first-party accessories for the Steam Frame

According to Valve software engineer Jeremy Selan, via PC Gamer, the company is working on a replacement head strap that can be attached to the existing Steam Frame core module. The upgraded strap will feature Index-style off-ear speakers, bringing the audio experience closer to Valve’s previous VR headset. These speakers sit away from the user’s ears rather than pressing directly against them, which can make longer VR sessions more comfortable while still providing immersive spatial audio.

Better speakers won’t be the only reason to consider the new strap. Valve says it will also include a hot-swappable battery, potentially allowing users to replace the battery without having to stop using the headset for an extended period.

However, Valve hasn’t revealed the accessory’s price or exact release date. “We’re working to make it available as soon as we can,” says Selan, and more information about pricing and availability will come later.

The standard Steam Frame takes a different approach to audio partly because Valve wanted to keep the headset lightweight, portable, and collapsible. Adding more hardware around the headband would have made achieving those goals more difficult, so the speakers were integrated into the existing strap instead.

That design created another problem during development. The speakers sit close to the core module, which contains the cameras and sensors used for inside-out tracking. Speaker vibrations, particularly from bass, were strong enough to interfere with the display.

Valve solved the issue by reversing one of the two drivers positioned on each side. The audio remains in phase, but the opposing vibrations cancel each other out, preventing the bass from affecting the headset’s tracking and display.

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Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.