Arcturus Vision Camera
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| Arcturus Vision Camera | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual reality, Mixed reality |
| Type | Accessory |
| Developer | Arcturus Vision |
| Manufacturer | Arcturus Vision |
| Announcement Date | 14 September 2026 |
| Price | US$149 (United States); €157 (European Union); £129 (United Kingdom) |
| Website | https://arcturus.vision/ |
| Requires | Steam Frame |
| Display | |
| Resolution | Passthrough up to 4928 x 2464 (5K, both eyes) or 2464 x 1232 (2.5K); recording 2464 x 2464 per eye or 1232 x 1232 per eye |
| Refresh Rate | Passthrough 60 Hz by default; up to 72 Hz at 5K, up to 144 Hz at 2.5K |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 125 x 105+ degrees (binocular); up to 125 degrees vertical with software updates |
| Optics | |
| Passthrough | Full color, 10-bit HDR (HLG) |
| Audio | |
| Camera | Two 32 MP Sony RGB sensors, spaced 64 mm apart |
| Connectivity | |
| Ports | Connects to the Steam Frame front expansion port |
| Device | |
| Weight | Under 10 g |
| Material | Curved glass, stainless steel, polycarbonate |
The Arcturus Vision Camera is a stereo color camera module for Valve's Steam Frame headset, made and sold by Arcturus Vision (formerly Arcturus Industries). Its US$149 price was announced on 14 September 2026, and the camera is on sale from Arcturus's own store. It plugs into the headset's front expansion port and replaces Steam Frame's built-in monochrome passthrough with full-color HDR passthrough. It also records stereoscopic spatial video and captures imagery for Gaussian splatting reconstructions.[1][2]
The module uses two 32-megapixel Sony RGB sensors placed 64 mm apart and weighs under 10 grams.[1][2] Valve does not sell it, but lists it on the Steam Frame product page as a "Steam Frame Compatible" accessory.[3] Arcturus says the camera works only with Steam Frame.[3] As of October 2026, Arcturus ships camera orders independently of Steam Frame orders and reservations, usually on the same or the next business day.[4]
Arcturus updated the free companion app on Steam several times in the weeks after launch. An update on 10 October 2026 made the app switch automatically to Steam Frame's built-in passthrough when the headset's infrared LEDs turn on in a dark room, and let owners switch cameras with a controller button long-press combination of their choice.[5][6]
Announcement and release
Details of the camera first appeared in early September 2026, when Komodo Station, Valve's hardware vendor in Asia, published a product page for it ahead of any announcement. Road to VR reported the listing on 2 September 2026; it gave the specifications but no price or release date.[7]
The camera's US$149 price was announced on 14 September 2026, the same day Valve announced the price of Steam Frame and opened registrations for it.[1] The companion app appeared on Steam the same day.[8]
Arcturus sells the camera from its own online store for US$149, €157 in the European Union and £129 in the United Kingdom. Valve's own checkout offers only first-party accessories, so the camera cannot be added to a Steam Frame order.[9] MIXED reported that Arcturus ships orders at the same time as Steam Frame. Delivery is duty paid to the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Switzerland, so taxes and import charges are included in the checkout total.[3] Valve applies the "Steam Frame Compatible" label to products that have been tested to work with the headset.[9]
Arcturus's support page later stated that camera orders ship independently of Steam Frame orders and reservations. Orders placed before 12:00 pm Eastern Time in the United States, or before 2:00 pm CET, often ship the same business day, and later orders typically ship the next business day. For buyers whose Steam Frame is delayed or cancelled, Arcturus has extended its warranty so that the warranty period starts when the buyer receives a first Steam Frame, on proof of that date. The extension does not lengthen return or withdrawal periods; for a delayed or cancelled Steam Frame, Arcturus says it will typically accept an unopened return even after the return deadline.[4]
The company's compliance page, last updated 4 August 2026, lists FCC Part 15 Subpart B (Class B) compliance in the United States, ICES-003 in Canada, CE marking under the EU EMC Directive, UKCA marking in the United Kingdom, and the RCM mark for Australia and New Zealand. It also lists Swiss EMC, chemical and e-waste recycling compliance, packaging recycling marks for Japan, and restricted-substance and packaging declarations for the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom.[10]
Design and hardware
The camera attaches to the expansion port under the nose bridge of Steam Frame.[11] Valve's specifications describe that port as a user-accessible dual high-speed camera interface with eight MIPI lanes at 2.5 Gbit/s and a single PCIe Gen 4 lane.[3] Without the module, Steam Frame's passthrough is monochrome.[1]
The two sensors sit 64 mm apart. Arcturus says this matches typical human eye spacing, so recordings keep true scale.[2][3] According to UploadVR, passthrough uses only around a quarter of the sensors' resolution.[1] The housing is made of curved glass, stainless steel and polycarbonate.[2] Arcturus describes the mount as a hot-plug system and says setup takes less than 30 seconds, with color passthrough turning on automatically once the camera is attached.[4][2] According to the company, passthrough support for the camera ships with Steam Frame and works immediately on plug-in.[2]
UploadVR compared the per-eye passthrough resolution of the module with other headsets when the camera was announced:[1]
| Headset | Passthrough type | Resolution per eye (UploadVR figures) |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Quest 2 | Grayscale | 0.3 MP |
| Meta Quest Pro | Colorized grayscale | 1.3 MP |
| Steam Frame (built-in cameras) | Tintable grayscale | 1.3 MP |
| Meta Quest 3 | True color | 4 MP |
| Steam Frame with Arcturus Vision Camera | True color | 6.1 MP |
| Apple Vision Pro | True color | 6.5 MP |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Sensors | 2 x 32 MP RGB (Sony)[2] |
| Sensor spacing | 64 mm[2] |
| Passthrough resolution and rate | Up to 72 Hz at 4928 x 2464 (5K); up to 144 Hz at 2464 x 1232 (2.5K); 60 Hz by default[2][3] |
| Video recording | 2464 x 2464 per eye (5K) at up to 60 fps; 1232 x 1232 per eye (2.5K) at up to 120 fps[2] |
| Dynamic range | 10-bit HDR (HLG)[2] |
| Field of view | 125 x 105+ degrees (binocular); Arcturus says up to 125 degrees vertical with software updates[2] |
| Pixel density | 25.5 PPD (5K, center)[2] |
| Focus range | 30 cm to infinity[2] |
| Weight | Under 10 g[2] |
| Connection | Steam Frame front expansion port[2] |
UploadVR noted that the 144 Hz passthrough mode at half resolution was labeled experimental. Arcturus warns that the higher refresh rates can show flickering or banding under artificial lighting and are best used in natural light.[1]
Software and features
In passthrough use, the camera provides depth-corrected color video of the room. Arcturus describes its latency as ultra-low.[2] Road to VR found that the module takes over passthrough as soon as it is plugged in, without restarting the headset.[11]
Arcturus publishes several free applications for the camera:[12]
| Application | Platform | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Arcturus Vision Camera | Steam Frame | Records 3D spatial video in up to 5K HDR and plays it back in windowed or immersive modes; includes sample videos[8] |
| Arcturus Vision Gaussian XR | Steam Frame | Views 3D Gaussian splat scenes in PLY and SOG formats; includes eight example scenes captured with the camera, and finds compatible scenes copied to a GaussianXR folder on the headset; released on Steam on 28 September 2026[12][13] |
| Arcturus Vision Sync | Windows, Mac (Linux announced) | Transfers recordings from Steam Frame and converts them for Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest, standard 3D players and 2D video[12] |
| Spirula Studio | Mac (Apple Silicon), Linux | Open-source (GPLv3) tool that builds 3D Gaussian models from camera recordings[12] |
Recordings store the headset's position data along with the video. UploadVR described a "Stabilized Immersive Playback" mode that uses this data to replay the video with position tracking.[1] Road to VR described the effect as the video frame itself moving in space during playback, rather than shaking inside a fixed window.[11]
The camera app records H.265 stereo video. Arcturus says it supports 10-bit HLG HDR, similar to the format newer iPhone and Android phones capture, as well as 8-bit and 10-bit recording in sRGB.[2] UploadVR noted that files converted with Arcturus Vision Sync for other headsets lose Stabilized Immersive Playback.[1] An update on 2 October 2026 added recording frame rates of 24, 33.33 and 50 fps; Arcturus recommends the 33.33 or 50 fps modes in Europe to reduce flicker from artificial lighting.[14]
For Gaussian splatting, Arcturus publishes command-line scripts that turn a synced camera recording into a 3D Gaussian scene. The apps page recommends recording at 30 fps to save storage space and lists two workflows: Spirula Studio (Mac with Apple Silicon, or Linux with an NVIDIA or AMD GPU), which outputs PLY files (and SOG with an optional export tool), and the third-party LichtFeld Studio on Linux with an NVIDIA GPU. Windows is not yet supported. Arcturus notes that the resulting 3D Gaussian scenes are currently SDR.[12]
App updates
Arcturus posts release notes for the Arcturus Vision Camera app on its Steam news page. The updates in the weeks after launch were:
| Date (UTC) | Changes |
|---|---|
| 30 September 2026 | Added an installer for a "Color Switch" utility in the KDE menu, which switches between color and monochrome passthrough without unplugging the camera; removed the tilt from windowed playback[15] |
| 2 October 2026 | Fixed a foveation problem at lower resolutions[16] |
| 2 October 2026 | Added 24, 33.33 and 50 fps recording; fixed videos that could be recorded upside down when the camera was first inserted just before or during app use[14] |
| 7 October 2026 | Player interface overhaul: a floating playback bar, movable and resizable video windows, a new pointer, revised stereo depth for windowed viewing, synchronized pause when the headset stops presenting, video deletion, and "health checks" that detect and fix dimmed passthrough, stutter from translucent passthrough and judder caused by Playtime mode[17] |
| 7 October 2026 | Fixed significant frame drops when recording at High and Ultra encoder quality on recent system versions; Arcturus said tracking problems could still cause drops[18] |
| 10 October 2026 | Auto night vision (switches to the built-in passthrough when the infrared LEDs are on in the dark), camera switching with any controller button long-press combination, on-screen notices when a switch occurs, a 3x2 video library layout, and a fix for decoder errors when scrubbing[5] |
| 12 October 2026 | Fixed empty per-frame exposure and gain metadata; health checks no longer open automatically at launch; detects another condition in which SteamVR could make passthrough very dark, and offers a fix[19] |
With the 10 October update, Arcturus warned that switching cameras can temporarily remove the Chaperone boundary, and that heavy system load can cause the same problem without a camera switch. It said it was working to provide Valve with a bug report.[5] MIXED noted on 13 October that Arcturus described the report as one it was preparing rather than one it had filed, and that Valve had not acknowledged the problem.[6]
Background
The company was previously named Arcturus Industries. In 2020 it developed, together with Valve and Occipital, the computer vision algorithms behind Room View 3D, a depth-correct passthrough mode added to the Valve Index in a SteamVR beta.[1][20] UploadVR reported at the time that the Arcturus technology appeared to be made by a team that had worked at Occipital.[20] For Steam Frame, UploadVR described Valve as having closely partnered with Arcturus Vision.[1] The Arcturus Industries website, which now points visitors to Arcturus Vision, lists offices in Madrid and Seattle.[21]
Arcturus Vision's own about page says the company builds real-time 3D perception systems, from VR passthrough cameras to visual-inertial tracking engines, and that it is based in Bellevue and Madrid. It says its core team has worked together for more than 12 years, including more than six years at Occipital before Arcturus was founded, where the founders built products such as the RedLaser app, the Structure Sensor and the Bridge mobile mixed reality headset. The company's timeline lists visual-inertial SLAM work from 2016, the 3D passthrough system for the Valve Index (which it dates to 2019), camera-based controller and object tracking from 2021, and a NeRF and Gaussian splatting engine from 2022, before the Arcturus Vision Camera in 2026.[22]
Reception
Road to VR's Scott Hayden reviewed the camera in September 2026. He wrote that beyond the added color, the jump in resolution was instantly noticeable, and that it "feels like you were sitting in the dark and then someone flipped on the lights." With the module installed, he could read a phone screen through passthrough, which he could not do with the default cameras. He judged the result roughly on par with Meta Quest 3 passthrough, with both headsets still well behind Apple Vision Pro. He also noted that part of the difference comes from how poor Steam Frame's standard passthrough is. He noted that Gaussian splat capture required command-line tools and a Linux desktop with an NVIDIA GPU, which limited it to advanced users. He recommended the module to Steam Frame buyers.[11]
In its 14 September launch coverage, UploadVR called the camera "an essential addition to Steam Frame" after evaluating a unit, while noting that it reduces the headset's battery life while active.[1]
CNET's Scott Stein reviewed Steam Frame with the module attached. He described the headset's included passthrough cameras as "very low-res black and white, a throwback to the old Oculus Quest 2", and wrote that "it's far better to use the Frame with the Arcturus Vision camera attached."[23] Road to VR's Hayden also wrote that the module fits Steam Frame so well "that you'd swear it was a first-party accessory directly from Valve".[11]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 David Heaney (2026-09-14). "Arcturus Vision Camera Adds Color Passthrough & 3D Video Capture To Steam Frame". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/steam-frame-arcturus-vision-camera-color-passthrough/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 "Arcturus Vision Camera - 5K HDR Passthrough for Steam Frame". Arcturus Vision. https://arcturus.vision/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Michael Zelich (2026-09-22). "A $149 camera gives Steam Frame colour passthrough, and Valve lists it as compatible". MIXED. https://mixed-news.com/en/arcturus-vision-camera-149-steam-frame-colour-passthrough/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Support - Arcturus Vision Camera". Arcturus Vision. https://arcturus.vision/support. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 aaron.b (2026-10-10). "Auto night vision & controller bindings". Steam News. Arcturus Vision. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/4103250/view/1846018067936552. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Michael Zelich (2026-10-13). "Arcturus Vision's Steam Frame app now flips to night vision when your room goes dark". MIXED. https://mixed-news.com/en/arcturus-vision-auto-night-vision-controller-bindings-steam-frame/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ Scott Hayden (2026-09-02). "Steam Frame is Getting a Color Passthrough Camera Upgrade Add-on". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/steam-frame-color-passthrough-camera-upgrade/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Arcturus Vision Camera on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/4103250/Arcturus_Vision_Camera/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Chris Steven (2026-09-18). "Steam Frame's power supply is a $29 extra, and Valve only sells its accessories at checkout". MIXED. https://mixed-news.com/en/steam-frame-power-supply-29-accessories-only-at-checkout/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ "Regulatory Compliance - Arcturus Vision Camera". Arcturus Vision. 2026-08-04. https://arcturus.vision/compliance. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Scott Hayden (2026-09-28). "Arcturus Vision Steam Frame Add-on Review - A Literal Night and Day Difference". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/arcturus-vision-camera-review-steam-frame-passthrough-add-on/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 "Apps". Arcturus Vision. https://arcturus.vision/apps. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ "Arcturus Vision Gaussian XR on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3977540/Arcturus_Vision_Gaussian_XR/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 aaron.b (2026-10-02). "Adds 24/33/50 FPS. Fixes a bug where videos could be upside down.". Steam News. Arcturus Vision. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/4103250/view/1845383656386880. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ aaron.b (2026-09-30). "Adds an installer for a new "Color Switch" utility in the KDE menu.". Steam News. Arcturus Vision. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/4103250/view/1845383656376754. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ aaron.b (2026-10-02). "Fixes a foveation issue under lower resolutions". Steam News. Arcturus Vision. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/4103250/view/1845383656386051. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ aaron.b (2026-10-07). "Player UI Overhaul + Health Checks: New Controls, Smoother Viewing". Steam News. Arcturus Vision. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/4103250/view/1846018067924783. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ aaron.b (2026-10-07). "Fixes recording drops for High and Ultra encoder quality.". Steam News. Arcturus Vision. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/4103250/view/1846018067927783. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ aaron.b (2026-10-12). "Fixes exposure/gain metadata; Health check updates". Steam News. Arcturus Vision. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/4103250/view/1846018067939909. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 David Heaney (2020-06-19). "Valve Index Now Has 3D-Correct Camera Passthrough". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/valve-index-room-view-3d/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ "Arcturus Industries". Arcturus Industries. https://arcturus.industries/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ "About Us - Arcturus Vision". Arcturus Vision. https://arcturus.vision/about. Retrieved 2026-10-14.
- ↑ Scott Stein (2026-09-14). "Steam Frame, Reviewed: Valve's Ambitious VR Headset Feels Like an Experiment in Progress". CNET. https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/valve-steam-frame-vr-headset-review/. Retrieved 2026-10-14.