The new VR headset from Valve may have some “old” tech and a high price, but the Arcturus Vision Camera turns it into a flexible tool able to capture 3D Gaussian Splats. 

The high price of memory made the promise of an affordable Steam Frame VR headset impossible to achieve so Valve ended releasing a VR headset that in term of specifications is not much different from the Quest 3 and costs a lot more. You’ve to pay $1,049 for the base version, which also only offers monochromatic passthrough in a world were colour seems to be a marketing asset. Well, if you’ve spent the money on a Steam Frame, spend $150 more and you’ll get a VR headset that, in terms of spatial video recording, can beat anything from the Quest 3 or Pico 4 Ultra to Apple Vision Pro, according to Arcturus Vision. 

Once you’ve acquired the accessory, setup takes less than 30 seconds. Simply attach the camera to your headset, and color passthrough will automatically activate. It’s that simple because the passthrough support for Arcturus Vision Cameras ships with Steam Frame and works immediately on plug-in. The Arcturus Vision apps include Arcturus Vision Camera for recording and playing 5K HDR spatial video, Arcturus Vision Gaussian XR for exploring 3D Gaussian splats, and Sync for transferring recordings to Windows or Mac (with conversion for other players on Mac).

The Arcturus Vision Camera is not the first product made for Valve, as the company made, in 2019, the first color 3D passthrough system for Valve’s Index headset, shipped to thousands of users. The Index, the first VR headset from Valve, was a reference to enthusiasts at the time and even in 2026 it’s still being used. The Steam Frame continues that trend, and adding the Arcturus Vision Camera really makes the headset a flexible tool that goes beyond the uses initially imagined for the VR headset. 

With the Arcturus Vision Camera you can record H.265 stereo video at 5K/2.5K at up to 60/120FPS. The company’s free recording app supports 10-bit HLG HDR video, similar to what newer iPhone and Android devices capture, for bright, natural-looking playback. It also supports 8-bit and 10-bit recording with sRGB. The two 32MP RGB Sony cameras used are spaced 64mm, the same as typical human eyes — making, Arcturues Vision claims, “your videos feel more lifelike and immersive.” 

The Arcturus Vision Camera, a lightweight 10 grams plug-in accessory, is exclusively compatible with Steam Frame and will not work on any other headset, meaning that simply by adding the $150 accessory you get a wireless VR headset that allows you to play stand alone and PC games or interactive experiences, both flat screen and VR (all the Steam’s library, according to Valve’s plans) and explore the potential of mixed reality, all the way up to 3D Gaussian Splatting. It radically changes the perception about the Steam Frame.