Author: News Room

In its new Steam Frame VR headset, Valve put dual audio drivers on each side in the included head strap. That puts the audio near your ears while you’re wearing it, and in my brief time trying the device at Valve’s headquarters recently, I thought the sound was just fine. But the choice to have those dual drivers also helps reduce audio vibrations, which helps the headset with tracking while you’re playing games in VR, Valve hardware engineer Jeremy Selan tells The Verge.The Frame, like many other VR headsets, uses outward-facing cameras built into the main part of the headset…

One of the best parts of the Steam Deck is its many different controls, and how you can customize them to let you do whatever you want with every single one of your games. Now, Valve is bringing that same level of flexibility into a new gamepad. I recently got to try it at Valve’s headquarters, and it feels like the controller I’ve always wanted.Today, Valve announced the second-generation Steam Controller. It’s a Bluetooth controller that works with any device that runs Steam, including Valve’s new Steam Machine PC and Steam Frame VR headset, and comes with a puck that…

Valve just announced the Steam Frame, a new standalone VR headset that can both stream games from a PC and play games locally thanks to an onboard Arm chip. The headset is quite a bit different from Valve’s previous model, the Index, which had to be tethered to a gaming computer with a physical wire. But it also stands out from a lot of other major VR headsets on the market right now, like the Meta Quest 3, Samsung Galaxy XR, and Apple Vision Pro.A big way the Frame separates itself from the pack is its focus on streaming your…

Valve is about to launch a new virtual reality headset, and with it, a comprehensive new approach to what a VR device should be. Most VR headsets I’ve tried have ended up collecting dust after the novelty wore off, and I thought I had sworn off VR for good. But after trying Valve’s new headset for myself at the company’s headquarters, I was nearly ready to put down my credit card before I walked out the door.The new headset is called the Steam Frame, and it’s trying to do several things at once. It’s a standalone VR headset with a…

Valve has just announced the Steam Frame, its new VR headset that can play games streamed directly from your PC using a dedicated streaming stick and run Windows games locally thanks to an Arm chip in the headset itself. At the same time, Valve is also moving on from its previous VR headset, the Valve Index, which it’s “no longer manufacturing,” designer Lawrence Yang tells The Verge.The Index, a high-end headset that had to be tethered to your PC to work and used external “lighthouse” base stations for tracking, was released in 2019. In her review, my colleague Adi Robertson…

Valve is about to challenge the Xbox and PlayStation on their home turf. Ten years to the month after Valve’s original Steam Machines went on sale, the company is announcing… the Steam Machine.I flew to Valve’s headquarters to try the company’s new PC-based game console, alongside a brand-new Steam Controller and the new Steam Frame gaming headset. It’s the culmination of Valve’s hardware and software efforts over the last decade, and it looks a lot like the leaks that have been coming out over the past year.Here’s what the new Steam Machine is all about.Photo by Everything Time Studio /…

The new Steam Machine is for your TV, the Steam Controller is for your hands, the Steam Frame is for your face, and they might just be the start. The company hinted there might be more SteamOS hardware later on.We’re tracking Valve’s rebooted hardware plans in this Verge StoryStream. And if you want to know how we got here, it also contains our original Steam Machine coverage — going back over a decade. Read the full article here

Amazon says it is blocking apps that allow users to illegally stream content on its Fire TV Stick, according to reporting by The Athletic. The clampdown will apply to new and old devices and it’s already begun in France and Germany, with a global rollout set for the next weeks and months.The Fire TV Stick, and similar plug-in streaming devices made by other companies, have long been associated with pirated content, specifically sports. Unauthorized third-party apps can be “side-loaded” onto devices and offer users access to illegal streaming platforms at lower prices than legal sports providers.But a device-level ban of…

Amazon just yanked the Haribo gummy bear power bank from its website and is canceling orders for the ultralight device. In an email sent to customers, Amazon says it has “learned of a potential safety or quality issue” regarding the power bank, and that it’s not charging customers who recently purchased it.The gummy bear theme may be a bit deceiving, but at 9.9 ounces, the $25 Haribo Mini Power Bank is one of the lightest 20,000mAh power banks around, making it a popular choice for backpackers (or anyone else who doesn’t feel like carrying around a hefty device). Now, the…

Amazon’s newest Echo Show smart displays launch this week. They’re purpose-built for the new AI-powered Alexa Plus, which comes preloaded in the US. I’ve had a couple of days to play with them, and I have some early thoughts to share.Overall, the devices are a significant upgrade from the last-gen Show 8 and aging Show 10. They’re sleeker, with more modern hardware, a more responsive touchscreen, and packed with radios and sensors. They’re also powered by the new AZ3 Pro processor, which makes them feel faster. The new Shows look ready to take center stage in your smart home.But Amazon…

After acquiring software virtualization company Cameyo last year, Google has relaunched a version of the service that makes it easier for Windows-based organizations to migrate over to ChromeOS. Now called “Cameyo by Google,” the Virtual App Delivery (VAD) solution allows users to run legacy Windows apps in the Chrome browser or as web apps, preventing organizations from being tied to Microsoft’s operating system.Google says the new Cameyo experience is more efficient than switching between separate virtual desktop environments, allowing users to stream the specific apps they need instead of virtualizing the entire desktop. That allows Windows-based programs like Excel and…

Samsung has launched a new portable display that can be pushed around on a rollable stand or carried like a giant tablet. The $1,199.99 Movingstyle is a 27-inch touchscreen display that features a battery life of up to three hours, allowing you to stream content or show workplace presentations without being tied to a power source.The wheeled floorstand includes a height-adjustable arm that can swivel the Movingstyle between landscape and portrait modes, and charges the display when plugged into an outlet. Users can detach the screen from its stand via a sliding button on the back, and carry it around…