Arcturus Vision Camera: should you add it to your Steam Frame order?

Add it if you will use passthrough for more than a quick room check. The $149 Arcturus Vision Camera swaps Steam Frame's grayscale passthrough for color and records 3D video. If you mostly stream fully immersive PC VR, the built-in view is enough to find your controllers, and you can wait.

Arcturus offers free cancellation before September 20, shortly after Valve starts sending purchase emails. Decide by September 19 if you want to leave time to cancel.

We have not tested the camera. This guide uses Arcturus's published specs, Valve's listing, and early hands-on reports.

What it does

Out of the box, Frame shows your room in black and white. Its outward cameras exist mainly for tracking, so passthrough is grayscale with an adjustable tint. UploadVR puts it at about 1.3MP per eye.

The Arcturus camera is a small bar, under 10 grams, that plugs into Frame's front expansion port. Two 32MP Sony color sensors sit 64mm apart, about the distance between your eyes. Once it is attached, Frame's home view and apps that already use passthrough switch to color automatically.

UploadVR's per-eye passthrough comparison:

The pixel count is higher than Quest 3's, but it does not establish better image quality. Passthrough runs at 2464x2464 per eye and 60Hz by default. Arcturus says 72Hz at full resolution, or 144Hz at 1232x1232 per eye, needs a special configuration and can flicker or band under artificial light.

Arcturus says the camera is certified Steam Frame Compatible. Valve's accessory listing includes it alongside Zenni's prescription inserts. Road to VR identifies Arcturus as the company behind Frame's camera tracking system. It also helped Valve add 3D passthrough to the Index in 2020.

Who should add it

Add it if you:

• Plan to play mixed reality games. Arcturus shows Cubism, Puzzling Places, and Table Space running in color.
• Want to see your room clearly between games. UploadVR argues this matters even with no interest in mixed reality, from the home view to flat games played in the headset.
• Want to record 3D video of your own.

Skip it for now if you:

• Mostly stream fully immersive PC VR and use passthrough only to find your controllers or check the room.
• Care more about session length than image quality. The camera uses more battery power while active.
• Land on the waitlist. Cancel before September 20 and consider reordering when a headset is closer. Later stock is not guaranteed.

Recording and 3D scenes

Recording runs in the free Arcturus Vision Camera app on Steam, released September 14 for Frame. Arcturus lists capture at 2464x2464 per eye up to 60fps, or 1232x1232 up to 120fps, in SDR or 10-bit HDR.

The headset's tracked position is saved with each frame, letting playback move the video around you to compensate for camera motion. UploadVR called that stabilized mode the best way it has seen to watch first-person 3D video. The Arcturus Vision Sync app for Windows and Mac transfers recordings and converts them for Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest, other 3D players, or flat 2D video.

3D scene capture is not ready for most buyers. As of September 15, the Gaussian XR viewer was listed on Steam for a September release but not yet available. Building your own scene with Arcturus's scripts currently requires a Linux PC with an Nvidia GPU. Arcturus says the scripts have not been adapted for Windows yet.

Trade-offs to know

• Battery. UploadVR reports a battery cost while the camera is active. Club386 got around two hours at most from Frame in its testing. We have not measured the combined drain.
• Refresh rate. Plan on the default 60Hz under indoor lighting because of the flicker warning for higher modes.
• Cost. $149 in the US, on top of a $1,059 or $1,299 kit. Arcturus lists shipping to the US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Switzerland, with taxes and duties included at checkout.
• Testing. UploadVR is saving its full assessment for its Steam Frame review. Longer-term camera battery and image-quality reports are still worth waiting for if you are unsure.

How the deadlines line up

Valve's launch announcement sets the headset schedule:

• September 17, 10 a.m. PT: Steam Frame's initial signup window closes. Valve puts later signups on the waitlist. Valve expects reservation or waitlist results around September 17.
• September 18: Valve starts sending purchase emails in queue order as units become available. Each link expires after 72 hours.
• September 20, 10 a.m. PT: Arcturus's launch cancellation deadline. Act by September 19 to leave time to cancel.

Arcturus's launch cancellation policy says it initially authorizes your card, then emails you after Valve's reservation results with options to ship or cancel. If you do not respond by the deadline, Arcturus says it will collect payment and ship the camera. Check the terms of sale for other cancellation and return rights.

By reservation result:

• Waitlist: cancel the camera before September 20.
• Reservation with a purchase email: decide on the camera when you buy the headset, keeping Arcturus's deadline in mind.
• Reservation without an email yet: decide by September 19 anyway. Valve sends emails as units become available, so yours may arrive after the camera cancellation window closes.

For the full cost of a Frame setup, including Valve's charger and ergonomic kit, see our price and accessories guide. For the official buying schedule, follow our Steam Frame status page.

Cover image: Arcturus Vision's product imagery, used as editorial context.