Valve publishes Steam Frame CAD files, so modders and print shops can start on spare parts

Valve has published the CAD files for the Steam Frame, giving modders, 3D-printing hobbyists, and repair-minded owners an official starting point for custom parts. According to vr.org, Valve’s Steam Hardware post says the files and electrical interface information are available for non-commercial use. They sit in a public GitLab repository, and PC Gamer reports the release covers the core module, the controllers, and the parts Valve expects users to swap, including the light blocker, head strap, battery housing, and facial interface.

The models are “stripped down”, which shapes what they’re good for. vr.org’s read of the repository lists mechanical models of the core module, head strap, and both controllers; a drawing of the controller tracking LED positions; and the electrical document for the front port. That’s enough to print a replacement strap adapter, a counterweight, a controller grip or a light-blocker extension, because those need outer dimensions and mounting points rather than internals. It won’t give a repair shop a drawing of the headset’s guts, so don’t expect printed spares for anything inside the enclosure.

What you can and can’t do with the files

Valve released everything under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. TechPowerUp notes that anyone who wants a commercial licence must email Valve, which opens the door to licensing deals but isn’t blanket permission. For readers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Egypt, that draws a clear line: printing a part for your own headset or sharing a design is fine, while a print shop or repair business selling parts would need Valve’s sign-off first.

The warranty is the other limit. vr.org quotes the repository’s terms as saying that opening the outside enclosure voids the warranty, as does attaching any hardware that isn’t “Steam Frame Compatible” to the electrical ports. Strap and grip mods that leave the enclosure shut are the safer first projects, and Valve also says it provides the material as-is and can change its hardware designs at any time, as Hackster.io reports.

The front port is where the bigger projects are

The release also documents the expansion port above the nose bridge, which Valve calls the auxiliary port. vr.org says the document describes two four-lane MIPI camera interfaces plus a single PCIe Gen 4 lane, with the PCIe lane sharing the left camera’s pins. Accessory makers therefore have to choose between two cameras, one camera plus PCIe, or PCIe alone. The port supplies up to 6W, and Valve warns that this much draw would use over a quarter of the battery per hour.

Valve also published two example boards for the port, a USB 3.0 hub in Altium and a minimal version in KiCad. It advises against using the KiCad one for a real accessory because of its rigid connection. The only port device the headset recognises out of the box is the Arcturus Vision colour camera, which PC Gamer’s writer has used for a couple of weeks.

PC Gamer also reports that Valve has confirmed an upgraded head strap with interchangeable batteries and off-ear speakers, listed as “coming soon”. Third-party options could follow. The Steam Frame now joins the Steam Deck, Steam Machine and Steam Controller as Valve hardware with public CAD files. The timing suits a long wait for hardware, because GamingOnLinux reports that Valve’s latest update tells reservation holders to expect their headset by December 2026 or sometime in 2027. Designers will have a head start on accessories before many owners have a headset to use them.