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Valve adds CD-ROM support to Steam Frame kernel less than ten minutes after saying it would look into it
Valve added CD-ROM support to the Steam Frame’s kernel less than ten minutes after a developer said the company was looking into a user’s request. The change could let owners use a detachable disc drive for films or older games, making the VR headset more versatile.
A user said they wanted to watch films while travelling and install an old copy of Need for Speed Carbon, which is no longer sold through official digital storefronts. The kernel change does not mean the feature is available to all owners: Valve would need to include it in a future update, and it is unclear whether it will do so. The user can also install the kernel themselves.
In short
- Valve added CD-ROM support to the Steam Frame kernel within minutes.
- The change followed a user’s request to use a detachable disc drive.
- Official availability would depend on a future update.
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The case for
Adding CD-ROM support could make the headset more useful by letting owners play films and games they already own, including older titles that are no longer sold digitally. Supporting the capability in the kernel gives users more choice and may help preserve access to legacy media, while leaving Valve to decide whether to include it in a general update.
The case against
Kernel support alone does not make the feature ready or available to most owners, and Valve may have sound reasons to withhold it from a general update if compatibility, security, licensing or support concerns arise. Requiring users to install the kernel themselves could also create technical risks and a poor experience, so the change should not be taken as a commitment to ship the feature.
Explained simply
The Steam Frame is a virtual reality headset made by Valve, the company behind the Steam PC games store. Its kernel is the core software that lets the device and its hardware work together.
CD-ROMs are discs used to distribute films and computer games, including older titles that may no longer be sold in digital shops. Support for reading them could give headset owners another way to access that media, but a change to the kernel alone does not make the feature available to everyone: Valve would need to include it in a software update, or users would have to install the kernel themselves.