Valve has dropped the full CAD files for the Steam Frame VR headset at no cost, giving modders everything they need to start building custom parts and accessories.
The release covers the headset's most mod-friendly components — the light blocker, head strap, battery housing, facial interface, core module, and controllers. Also included is full documentation on the auxiliary port, which Valve calls the expansion port. It sits just in front of the user's nose and supports powered accessories via one Gen4 PCIe lane alongside power and camera functionality. The Arcturus Vision RGB camera is already one such accessory, and the documentation opens the door for third parties to build more. Valve has also confirmed an upgraded head strap with interchangeable batteries and off-ear speakers is in development, listed as coming soon.
With this release, Valve now has CAD files publicly available for all of its major recent hardware — the Steam Deck, Steam Machine, Steam Controller, and Steam Frame. That's a consistent open-hardware approach that few companies in the consumer electronics space match, and it gives the modding community a legitimate foundation to build on rather than reverse-engineering everything from scratch.
What comes next is down to the community. The expansion port in particular looks like fertile ground — one PCIe lane with camera support is a surprisingly capable interface, and it will be worth watching what independent developers do with it.
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