Thanks to a combination of datamining and public paperwork, we know that Valve are working on, have recently been working on, or are vaguely interested in working on a thick catalogue of different PC hardware. Besides a long-rumoured Steam Machine successor, we’ve also seen evidence of an all-in-one VR headset – codenamed Deckard – and a new take on the Steam Controller, while preliminary tinkerings with a Steam Deck 2 are likely underway even with Valve’s warnings that it’s a few years off. Now, it looks like one of these has a name: the Steam Frame.
The moniker appears in, once again, a Valve filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Two, in fact: one to trademark the Steam Frame as computer hardware and another to cover it under game consoles and peripherals. As well as “Cutlery, Machinery, Tools and Parts Thereof” and “Musical Instruments and Supplies,” apparently. Trademark law is weird.
I’m going to ignore my legendarily poor record of predication-making on this website and take a punt on the Steam Frame most probably being Deckard, the Valve Index replacement that can supposedly run games off itself instead of needing to be hooked up to a separate PC. I’m guessing that the included controllers would require that second trademark application to cover it under peripherals specifically, and although that could also mean the filings are pointing to the new Steam Controller (or maybe even the next Steam Deck)… I dunno, “Frame” just sounds like a more fitting name for a VR kit, mainly because all the straps and clips involved can make it feel like you’re wearing scaffolding. Doubt it’s going to be a knife and fork set, anyway.
Then again, maybe it’s all just a spot of arse-covering in case Valve simply like the name and want to dibs it for something later. Trademark and patent documents are, infamously, a source of fanciful bullshit (MCDONALD’S!) as often as they are for genuine glimpses of future tech. Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time that Valve’s regulatory dealings hinted at real, almost retail-ready products: the Steam Deck OLED was indirectly revealed by US and South Korean authorities certifying its upgraded Wi-Fi card.
We’ll see, either way. Also, just to avoid this article ending on an exceptionally nerdy note about Wi-Fi, did you know the USPTO is currently trying to decide if someone can trademark the word ‘Fuck’?
