Valve Brings in 13 Tons of VR Headsets in a Single Day

On June 10th, the German container ship Posen arrived in Los Angeles after a two-week journey from Shanghai. According to Valve analyst Brad Lynch, it likely carried the first large shipment of the Steam Frame, Valve’s latest gaming headset.

Import records indicate that Valve’s distribution partner Ceva unloaded nearly 32 metric tons of “Virtual Reality Devices” for Valve, which translates to about 13 tons of actual product after accounting for the weight of five 40-foot shipping containers, totaling around 3,700 kilograms.

This calculation aligns with our previous estimate that Valve imported 50 tons of game consoles over two days last month. Since Valve distinguishes between “Game Consoles” and “Virtual Reality Devices” in its import records, it’s reasonable to conclude that the Steam Machine console was the focus of their stockpiling efforts.

Speaking of the Steam Machine, Valve’s inventory may have reached 141 metric tons, reflecting the amount of “Game Consoles” that have arrived in 12,600-kilogram containers since April 23rd. Additionally, it appears Valve received three shipments of Steam Deck handhelds in May, with two on May 18th and one on May 30th, as indicated by the heavier gross weight of 14,500 kilograms for those containers. This weight is consistent with what Valve’s “Game Console” containers typically weighed before the Steam Machine announcement.

While 13 tons may not seem like a lot of VR headsets, it’s possible that more units fit into a container compared to the Steam Machine console. Each headset weighs 654 grams (about 1.44 pounds) with a pair of wand controllers, suggesting we might be looking at fewer than 20,000 units currently.

The number of Steam Machines in the US might be limited as well; 141 metric tons could represent fewer than 50,000 units at their higher weight of 2.6 kilograms per console, excluding any controllers or cables. Valve recently confirmed that both the Steam Machine and Steam Frame are set to launch this summer and hinted at needing to adjust prices due to RAM shortages. Despite potentially high costs, these products may sell out quickly.