Valve considered creating a new VR game for the Steam Frame before tackling the “absurd” challenge of enabling Half-Life: Alyx to operate independently.

Valve has at times heightened interest in their hardware by associating it with a fresh game release. For the Steam Deck, that game was Aperture Desk Job, while for the 2019 Valve Index VR headset, it was Half-Life: Alyx, a comprehensive adventure lauded as a benchmark in first-person shooter design. Nevertheless, the choice to utilize Alyx again as a prominent feature for the new Steam Frame headset, presenting the game in standalone VR, has sparked some questions. Some speculate why Valve opted not to develop something original, even a smaller tech demonstration like Aperture Desk Job or The Lab’s Portal-themed mini-games. Valve representatives clarified that reverting to Alyx was deemed more beneficial, even though they briefly entertained the idea of a new VR game.