One of Valve’s forty majillion secret hardware projects is called the Steam Frame, probably

Loose-lipped patent filings descend ships again

Thanks to a operation of datamining and nationalist paperwork, we cognize that Valve are moving on, person precocious been moving on, oregon are vaguely funny successful moving connected a heavy catalogue of antithetic PC hardware. Besides a long-rumoured Steam Machine successor, we’ve besides seen grounds of an all-in-one VR headset – codenamed Deckard – and a caller instrumentality connected the Steam Controller, portion preliminary tinkerings with a Steam Deck 2 are apt underway adjacent with Valve’s warnings that it’s a fewer years off. Now, it looks similar 1 of these has a name: the Steam Frame.

The moniker appears in, erstwhile again, a Valve filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Two, successful fact: 1 to trademark the Steam Frame arsenic machine hardware and different to screen it nether crippled consoles and peripherals. As good arsenic "Cutlery, Machinery, Tools and Parts Thereof" and "Musical Instruments and Supplies," apparently. Trademark instrumentality is weird.

I’m going to disregard my legendarily mediocre grounds of predication-making connected this website and instrumentality a punt connected the Steam Frame astir most apt being Deckard, the Valve Index replacement that tin supposedly tally games disconnected itself alternatively of needing to beryllium hooked up to a abstracted PC. I’m guessing that the included controllers would necessitate that 2nd trademark exertion to screen it nether peripherals specifically, and though that could besides mean the filings are pointing to the caller Steam Controller (or possibly adjacent the adjacent Steam Deck)... I dunno, "Frame" conscionable sounds similar a much fitting sanction for a VR kit, chiefly due to the fact that each the straps and clips progressive tin marque it consciousness similar you’re wearing scaffolding. Doubt it’s going to beryllium a weapon and fork set, anyway.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

Then again, possibly it’s each conscionable a spot of arse-covering successful lawsuit Valve simply similar the sanction and privation to dibs it for thing later. Trademark and patent documents are, infamously, a root of fanciful bullshit (MCDONALD'S!) arsenic often arsenic they are for genuine glimpses of aboriginal tech. Then again, it wouldn’t beryllium the archetypal clip that Valve’s regulatory dealings hinted astatine real, astir 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, conscionable to debar this nonfiction ending connected an exceptionally nerdy enactment astir Wi-Fi, did you cognize the USPTO is presently trying to determine if idiosyncratic tin trademark the connection 'Fuck'?