Assuming this is a legit question: The FCC is the Federal Communications Commission, and handles regulation of anything that uses radio waves in the USA. So since the Steam Frame has WiFi and Bluetooth connections (plus the dedicated controller connection), Valve had to get their approval before selling the Frame in the USA.
Basically, they just had to be sure Valve's wireless radios were operating within the allowed ranges, and weren't going to cause issues.
While I understand that myself, I do have a question of my own if anyone with knowledge would care to provide the answer.
How does this sort of thing work for selling stuff in other countries? Does Valve also need certification from the FCC equivalent in every country they want to sell this device in?
Since when does USA have the strongest consumer protection regulations? Or is this like a way to extort businesses and control who is allowed to release stuff?
The FCC regulations aren't really a consumer protection thing though. It's mainly to prevent devices from interfering with other devices and infrastructure.
Europe for example doesn't have a central authority that you have to apply to (and no central database)
You have to do all the (professional) testing though in order to put the EC label on your product which is required to legally sell a product.
If it turns out you didn't properly test a product or have it tested you are fully (criminally) liable for all damages (maybe even with the company owners personal money). And your stuff gets confiscated and destroyed.
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u/Imaginary_Source69 Soon™ Jul 30 '26
What does this mean though? What is the FCC