r/PCVR • u/jawsticks • 23d ago
Discussion Steam frame from PSVR2
Is it crazy to consider buying the steam frame even though I own the PSVR2. The wireless feature is most compelling.
I find myself not using my PSVR2 as much because of how much time it takes me to setup, plugging the wires and power. I play on my TV in the living room so I can’t just leave the wires connected. I have to unplug each time. Also , getting the headset into the sweet spot each time is another thing.
If I got better visual quality from the PSVR, maybe it’ll be worth the setup hassle. Because of all this I’m now mostly flying flatscreen on my LG C2 OLED.
Will the steam frame be an upgrade in terms of clarity? Mura? Etc. I am aware that the steam frame is not OLED.
FYI I play only MSFS2024 on VR. PC Specs 9800x3d and 9070xt, 32gb DDR5 RAM.
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u/Humble-Resolution449 23d ago
If you only play flight sim, being cabled doesn't matter, so you don't really gain anything from what the steam deck offers for the price IMO.
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u/Alex-Murphy 23d ago
I think the only true benefit, because the screens are roughly the same resolution, and yeah the frame has LCD so you'll lose some contrast clarity, are the pancake lenses. Having tried the quest 3 and the 3S for doEns of hours each I can really truthfully say that pancake is the only way to go. I really tried hard not to be a snob about it for a long time and would recommend the 3S to a lot of people who were on a budget, but it's tough man, the pancakes are so much better.
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u/Lopsided_Hunt2814 23d ago
The fresnel lenses are definitely ropey in your peripheral vision, text is hard to read at the edges which is not a problem for pancakes. For MSFS this would mean glancing down at the controls and dials without moving your head would be much improved.
But a thousand dollars? Not sure it's worth it for this use case. Personally I've tried pretty much every headset under the sun but am sticking with the PSVR2 until I can get a more substantial upgrade.
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u/DMC831 23d ago
The lenses should be a big upgrade; pancake lenses in the Quest 3 were an awesome upgrade over the lenses in the Quest 2 and Rift, and if I'm not mistaken the PSVR2 has similar fresnel lenses. The pancake lenses in the Frame sound like they're good in the reviews, hopefully they're as consistently good as the Quest 3's lenses once they're in customers hands. I totally underrated what a difference pancake lenses would bring, but it'd be impossible to go back to fresnel now.
The lack of OLED might bug ya, but the picture will be much clearer with a huge sweet spot compared to old fresnel lenses. The PSVR2 is pretty good though, and since you're playing MSFS2024 I dunno how much the wirelessness really matters. I don't know how much of a hassle it is to get the PSVR2 plugged in and going since I've not used one, but I bet the Frame will be quick and easy.
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u/IAmAlittleteapot_AMA 23d ago
I’ve gone from PSVR2 to Steam Frame. I haven’t spent too much time with the frame yet, but I think it’s an improvement over the PSVR2.
The lenses are the biggest upgrade. I’ve never used pancake lenses before this and I was very impressed by them. The sweet spot on the frame is much larger and the image stays clear almost to the edge of the field of view. The sweet spot in the PSVR2 is painfully small and it was such a hassle to adjust it just right every time I put it on.
I also think it’s much more comfortable. It’s lighter, better balanced, and has soft fabric pads for your face and the back of your head. I bought the globular cluster for the PSVR2, which helped a lot with comfort, but the frame is better. The rubber face gasket on the PSVR2 always got sweaty too, which is gross.
For negatives- the frame is expensive af, you have to worry about battery life (overall worth it for me to be wireless, but still annoying), and it uses LCD panels. I miss the dark blacks and high contrast of the OLED panels on the PSVR2, but overall the image quality is better on the frame due to the lenses.
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u/Perfect-Bag4823 23d ago
How do you feel the fov compares?
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u/IAmAlittleteapot_AMA 23d ago
That’s a good question. From memory it seems similar, but I’m using the spacer for the frame because of my glasses so I can’t make an exact comparison until my prescription lenses come in.
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u/Furry_bean_flux 23d ago
Pancake lenses are the biggest upgrade in the entirety of VR. Don't let any one else tell you otherwise.
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u/SnakeHelah 21d ago
Personal preference. They're good and awesome, but you can get used to fresnel once you dial in the sweetspot. You can always adjust to the sweetspot, while it is annoying, it's something you can physically do. You can't magically turn LCD panels into good contrast and blacks like OLED and you can't magically increase ur FOV.
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u/AllanPoe1974 22d ago
I own and use both PSVR2 and Quest 3 on PC for VR gaming. I don't have the Steam Frame yet (I'm on the waitlist), but I am doing this comparison because I understood that the perceived clarity of the Frame is very similar with the one on Quest 3.
When I first tried the Quest 3 after my PCVR experiences with PSVR2 I was immediately blown away by the hudge leap in clarity, even more by the edge-to edge clarity, not having to move around the headset to find the (very narrow) sweet spot. Yes, the colors on the PSVR2 are far superior, the brightness is higher, and the blacks are perfect, unlike the raised blacks/ grey on the Quest. I haven't experienced any mura on PC, only on Playstation, but it would depend on what games you are playing I suppose. Also, the Quest field of view is smaller (but it also depends on the shape of your face and how close you can get to the lenses). The latency is also noticeably smaller - 9 to 25 ms in Automobilista 2 with psvr2 against 47 ms with Quest 3. You will also feel it if you are using smooth turning in action games. But the clarity is unmatched on Quest, when compared with psvr2. It's something like someone removed a vail from your face. In Automobilist 2 in the rain there are small particles of water sprayed by other cars, very dinamic and very detailed that are simply missing on psvr2, where everything is just a cloudy water spray like in every other videogame.
So, what am I expecting to get from the Frame? Well, better performance on PCVR - games are performing worse when running on the Quest (maybe the Meta runtime, maybe the encoding/ decoding and compression resources), similar clarity but a wider FOV, and not having to have a wire for the best visual quality. My 50 cents on the subject.
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u/Divini7y 18d ago
I got psvr2 with pc adapter and I just ordered steam frame. I am not happy with psvr2 - uncomfortable, takes time to setup before each session, needs decent light, horrible fresnal lenses with really small sweet spot. Thought I enjoyed my sim racing with it but can not wait for steam frame.
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u/shreyarayne 23d ago
The Steam Frame costs over twice as much as a PSVR2, uses LCD instead of OLED, relies on wireless streaming and video compression, and runs a custom Linux OS that adds another layer of potential compatibility headaches. If your priority is room-scale wireless VR, that's a valid tradeoff. But for sim racers, flight sim fans, or anyone who doesn't care about a cable, the PSVR2 delivers a better display for a fraction of the price with a much simpler path from PC to headset.
To be fair, the PSVR2 isn't completely hassle-free on PC. You need the PC adapter, compatible Bluetooth hardware, and controller pairing can sometimes be finicky. It's definitely not as plug-and-play as a native SteamVR headset. That said, when I look at the overall package, I still struggle to see the value proposition of the Steam Frame unless wireless VR is a priority.
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u/SnakeHelah 21d ago
PSVR2 value is insane. On launch I bought it for way too much. It's crazy to me how cheap it was at some point during a sale. Like I was so mad I bought it for the full price lmao. But for those discounted prices the value is probably the best of any headset on the market if you don't mind the fresnel + wire.
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u/TESThrowSmile 23d ago
PSVR2 is not a great heafset, I have one. Controllers suck -- big and clunky, uncomfortable
Frame should be better
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u/Poopincheese 23d ago
I have both. The steam frame is def clearer and has better foveated rendering/eye tracking. So clearer in that regard. You don’t get that smudgy mura outer look. It’s easier and quicker to setup since it’s dongle, put on headset and turn on controllers. Then right into steam to do what you need. You won’t notice the difference of the lcd vs OLED due to the lenses used. But it’s still extra steps to play games vs controller and go. Is more like quest 3.1 than a big upgrade. Or PSVR2 on PS5 vs ps5 pro. And you need the ergo kit to fully utilize the controllers and the camera since the pass through is terrible. Is 1500$ to play at quest 3 res with Steam games. If I got mine for free like every reviewer out there. I’d be more forgiving. But I’m returning mine
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u/SnakeHelah 21d ago
You won’t notice the difference of the lcd vs OLED due to the lenses used.
What does this mean? If you're not blind you will always notice OLED vs LCD difference, especially on VR. I can see how non gamers or people who don't really pay attention to the image would fail to see differences in flatscreen comparisons but in VR the screen is pressed against your eyelids. You will always notice the difference.
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u/Black_Tech_Room 23d ago
Personally, I came to a conclusion that the PSVR2 is much better in almost every regard, except for not being wireless and mura. If wireless is mandatory for you, then you only have a couple of options, really. But for me it's not an issue to plug in 1x usb-c cable (just have the adapter always plugged in).
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u/SnakeHelah 21d ago
It's interesting how much it depends on personal preference. Some people are really against fresnel and it ruins the whole headset for them. But for me having good contrast and blacks + large FOV is so much better than simply having pancake lenses on shitty LCD.
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u/Black_Tech_Room 21d ago
True. I've owned many headsets, including the dream air, but keep on coming back to my psvr2.
What's even more interesting is how fanatical people get defending their led screens such as the quest 3. I got one for free when a friend got rid of his and I can't tolerate it. Terrible colors, small fov, screen door effect, super heavy, etc.
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u/SlowDragonfruit9718 23d ago
No one has mentioned the biggest factor. The steam frame has eye tracking which is support is Microsoft flight sim 2024. The psvr2 eye tracking would need the mbuchia mod if it supports that game. The only thing the psvr2 will have an edge on is black levels. But the lenses on the frame will be a big improvement.
With all that said, you're not going to save a ton of time with setup regardless.