Only 1 Hour of Steam Frame Battery? Do This
I got about an hour of mixed use in Performance mode. The power modes, the biggest battery win, and why you shouldn't run it down to zero.
By CasPublished Updated Short
In my testing, the Steam Frame battery gave me about an hour of mixed use in Performance mode, while recording and doing all kinds of things. That’s not a lot, so a few settings are worth knowing.
There are two power modes, which you switch under Quick Access and the power icon. Playtime runs at 72Hz. Performance defaults to 90Hz and goes up to 144Hz, which looks really smooth.
The biggest win is streaming your heavy games from your PC instead of running them on the headset. For longer sessions, keep it plugged in or connect a power bank to the USB-C port at the back. I carry mine, a 65W 20,000mAh AsperX, in a pocket or small shoulder bag. Its little screen shows the headset drawing around 25W, so a lower-watt power bank should work too.
Don’t run it down to 0%, either. Even around 5% could give you charging glitches, so plug it in well before that.
