Valve is officially 30 years old today, marking three decades since Gabe Newell (pictured above) and Mike Harrington founded the company on August 24, 1996. Since then, Valve has played a huge role in shaping PC gaming, from Half-Life and Counter-Strike to Steam, and even its own hardware. 2026 has been a big year for Steam hardware, with Steam Frame next.

Valve quickly made its mark with Half-Life, which arrived in 1998 and helped push PC shooters toward more cinematic storytelling, scripted events, and immersive worlds. The company followed it with other major franchises, including Portal, Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress, Dota, and Counter-Strike, with the latter three spawning from fan-made game mods.

A brief history of Steam, and where is the Steam Frame?

Steam has arguably been Valve’s biggest contribution. Launched in 2003, the platform went from a relatively simple game distribution service to the center of PC gaming, adding features such as automatic updates, cloud saves, achievements, communities, and the Steam Workshop. Today, Steam remains one of the most important platforms for PC gamers.

Valve has also spent the last few years expanding beyond software. The original Steam Machine experiment in 2015 did not last, but the company eventually found much greater success with the Steam Deck. Valve has since expanded its hardware plans with the new Steam Machine and the upcoming Steam Frame VR headset.

And that brings us to the biggest question on Valve’s 30th anniversary: where is the Steam Frame? Fans may expect Valve to reveal the headset’s price and release date today, especially after months of hints suggesting that the launch is getting close. Valve has confirmed that the Steam Frame is planned for summer 2026, but it has never provided a specific date or price.

At the time of writing, Valve has not yet revealed the Steam Frame’s price or launch date – but there’s still plenty of time in the day (you have to consider time zones, after all). Fans will have to wait a little longer for the information they’ve been asking for, and if we’re lucky, Valve may come out with an official announcement later today.

There are plenty of signs that the headset is nearing release, though. Valve has continued expanding the Great on Frame section on Steam, which includes a growing list of compatible games. The company has also been receiving VR shipments, so it is gearing up for launch.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

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