SteamOS 0.5.7 beta adds WebXR support to Steam Frame
SteamOS 0.5.7 Beta adds WebXR support to Steam Frame while improving SteamVR tracking, controller bindings and USB and Bluetooth audio.
Valve has released SteamOS 0.5.7 Beta for Steam Frame, adding WebXR support to Chromium alongside a set of virtual-reality, controller and audio changes. The build is an opt-in beta rather than a general stable update: Steam Frame owners need to open Settings, choose System and select the Steam Client Beta update channel to install it.1
The most visible addition is support for WebXR in Chromium 157 and newer. That gives Steam Frame a clearer route to browser-based extended-reality experiences, although the beta label matters: Valve is still testing the software and the update should not be treated as a guarantee that every WebXR site will behave perfectly on the headset.1
SteamOS 0.5.7 also updates SteamVR to version 2.19.1. Valve says it has improved vibration filtering for pose prediction, addressing behaviour that was affecting some units. The update also changes the sleep experience by dimming the display for 30 seconds before the headset enters sleep mode, and it makes foveated sharpening independent from eye tracking. Advanced Supersampling support has been removed from Steam Frame in this build.1
Controllers and everyday fixes
The beta fixes the battery indicator when Frame Controllers reach 0% and adds default bindings for Chromalab, Batman Arkham and Doom VFR. Those are small changes compared with WebXR, but they are the sort of details that can make a new headset feel less experimental during daily use.1
Audio gets a more practical fix. SteamOS 0.5.7 addresses an issue where sound could stop working with USB or Bluetooth speakers if an application attempted to access the microphone. Valve has also added controls for selectively disabling echo cancellation and microphone noise suppression, though the latter controls require the current Steam Client Beta as well.1
The update keeps the guided tour focused on the Steam dock, too. That is a modest presentation change, but it fits the wider shape of this release: the build is polishing the headset's onboarding, tracking, controls and peripheral behaviour while adding a new browser capability.
How to install the beta
Steam Frame owners can opt in through Settings > System > Steam Client Update Channel, then select the beta channel and check for the update. The official Steam announcement describes the release as SteamOS 0.5.7 for the Steam Frame Beta channel, so anyone relying on the headset for a particularly stable setup should weigh that testing status before switching.1
Steam Frame is Valve's wireless VR hardware for accessing a Steam library, and the official store listing identifies Valve as both its developer and publisher.2 The beta therefore matters beyond a routine operating-system number: WebXR gives the hardware another use case, while the SteamVR, controller and audio fixes target the parts of the experience users notice most often.
Our opinion
This is a sensible beta update rather than a flashy platform reset. WebXR is the headline feature, but the tracking, microphone, speaker and controller fixes are arguably more valuable to owners who already use Steam Frame every day. The trade-off is obvious: early adopters get the new browser support first, but they also accept software that is still being tested. Unless WebXR is the reason you bought the headset, waiting for a stable channel may be the calmer choice; for developers and enthusiasts, the opt-in path offers a useful new capability without pretending the beta is finished.