Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 47 mins ago
Valve enables optical-drive support in Steam Frame kernel
Valve has enabled optical-drive features in the Steam Frame kernel, the software that helps run its VR headset.
The change followed a forum post from a user who wanted to watch films and install a 2006 game from discs while travelling.
Valve developer Gabe Rowe said the company would look into it, and a matching change appeared on GitHub about eight minutes later.
The change is not an official update, though technically skilled users can compile a kernel with the new settings and experiment.
The headset may still not power an external drive, and the user was still looking for a suitable USB hub.
Even with a working drive, copy protection and the software needed to run the old game on the headset could cause problems.
Whether Valve will deliver support in a SteamOS update remains unknown.
Valve enabled optical-drive support options in the Linux kernel configuration for its Steam Frame headset.
The change followed a forum post from a user who wanted to watch films and install a 2006 game from an external disc drive.
Valve developer Gabe Rowe said the company would look into the request, and a related GitHub commit appeared eight minutes later.
The changes enable three functions as loadable modules: CD-ROM support, SCSI support for optical drives and generic SCSI device access.
The change does not guarantee that external drives will work, and the headset’s power issue remains unresolved.
It is not known whether or when Valve will release an official SteamOS update with the support.
- Who
- Valve developer Gabe Rowe made the kernel change after a Steam Frame user raised the request.
- What
- Valve enabled optical-drive support options in the Steam Frame kernel configuration.
- When
- The user posted on Oct. 18, 2026. Rowe responded the following day, and a related commit appeared eight minutes later.
- Where
- The request was posted in the official Steam Frame forum; the change was recorded on GitHub.
- Why
- The user wanted to watch films on the go and install a 2006 game from a disc.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A user posted in the Steam Frame forum asking to use an external optical drive to watch films and install a game.
Valve developer Gabe Rowe said the company would look into the request.
A related kernel configuration change by Rowe appeared on GitHub.
- Device
- Valve Steam Frame VR headset
- Forum post
- Oct. 18, 2026
- Kernel change
- Three functions enabled as loadable modules
- Game mentioned
- Need for Speed: Carbon, released in 2006
- Official update
- Timing not stated
- Power issue
- Remains unresolved
3 sources
What people are saying
I wanted to use my Steam Frame to be able to watch a movie on the road and thought it was no big deal to use the detachable disc drive I had on my computer
We will look into this. Thanks for alerting us.