Steam Frame: No 3D conversion of flatscreen games planned
Steam Frame could potentially display flatscreen games in stereoscopic 3D. However, Valve currently has no plans for such a feature.
Steam Frame is also optimized for playing flatscreen titles, but these remain flat.
(Image: Valve)
With Steam Frame, both VR games and classic Steam titles for conventional screens can be played on a virtual canvas. If the VR headset could output flatscreen games in stereoscopic 3D, it would be an additional selling point compared to monitors, TVs, and handhelds like Steam Deck, and would enhance the gaming experience on Steam Frame.
When asked about this, Valve explained that they are currently not working on such a feature. However, stereoscopic rendering of flatscreen titles that already support it natively could be conceivable in the future. Such a feature is on Valve's list of potential future features. It is unclear which games Valve specifically has in mind. Titles that once supported Nvidia 3D Vision, which was discontinued in 2019, would be obvious candidates.
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Valve is also considering a system-wide solution that correctly displays all types of stereoscopic content (images, videos), whether in standalone mode or on a PC.
The Hurdles of Real-Time 3D Conversion of Games
Technically, the 3D conversion of flatscreen games is anything but trivial. Experimental injector software like Reshade and VorpX use the graphics card's depth buffer to create a stereoscopic image. Depending on the method, artifacts may occur or performance may drop significantly. Furthermore, game-specific adjustments are often necessary. AI-based 2D-to-3D conversion, as offered by Apple Vision Pro and Samsung Galaxy XR, is not an alternative here, as it has so far been primarily tested for image and video material and hardly for interactive content.
Another hurdle that Valve would have to consider is the computing power required by solutions like Reshade and VorpX. They would certainly overwhelm the smartphone chip of the Steam Frame. In conjunction with a Steam Machine or another PC, however, such experiments would be more conceivable.
As you can see, even though 3D conversion seems like an obvious approach, its implementation is demanding and not a priority for Valve.
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