gripspeak
Already have Gripspeak, or reading this in your headset? Open the setup guide.
Voice typing for the Steam Frame.
Hold both grips, talk, let go. Your words type into Steam chat, the browser, the terminal or any desktop app, recognized on the headset itself.
One-time purchase · Works offline after activation · 30-day refunds, no reason needed · Not affiliated with Valve
The 100-second walkthrough: real headset footage, narrated by the developer.
How it works
Hold both grips
Point at any text box: Steam chat, a browser, the terminal, a desktop app.
Talk
Say it the way you'd say it to a friend. Ums and uhs get left out.
Let go
It types. A short phrase usually lands within about a second.
Typing on the Frame is slow. Talking isn't.
The virtual keyboard works, but pecking out a sentence with a laser pointer takes about half a minute. Gripspeak turns that into a few seconds of talking, without a Bluetooth keyboard on your lap.
Speech recognition stays on the headset
Your voice is turned into text on the Frame itself. Audio is never saved or sent anywhere, and dictation works offline once you've activated.
Made for hands holding controllers
Double-tap the grips for hands-free mode and talk for up to 10 minutes. Copy and paste on grip double-taps, Enter and Escape on stick flicks. Ctrl, Alt and F-key shortcuts arrive in the next update.
Learns your words
Fix a misheard name once and Gripspeak remembers it. Add friends' names, game titles and jargon to your own dictionary.
Installs in a few minutes, no terminal
Download one file in the Frame's browser and click Launch. A short guided tour lights up your real controller buttons as you learn the gestures. No admin password, no SteamVR developer settings.
Optional AI cleanup, off by default
Connect your own OpenRouter account and a language model tidies punctuation, lists and self-corrections. Only the text is sent, never audio, and everything else works without it.
Your buttons stay yours in games
Gripspeak rests while a game is in front unless you turn it on for games, so it doesn't fight a game for its controls.
Questions
How do I type on the Steam Frame without a keyboard?
You can use Steam's virtual keyboard with the laser pointer, pair a Bluetooth keyboard, or use a voice typing app. Gripspeak is one of those apps: hold both grips, say what you want to write, and let go.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Speech recognition runs on the headset. It needs the internet once to activate, then checks the license about once a day (a missed check changes nothing) and looks for updates. The optional AI cleanup is the only feature that needs a connection while you use it.
Does it need a PC?
No. It runs on the Steam Frame itself, in SteamOS. It doesn't run on PC VR headsets or Quest.
Which languages does it support?
English for now. Outside Steam's own windows it types plain English characters and expects a US keyboard layout.
Do I need the terminal or an admin password?
No. You install it from the Frame's desktop mode by downloading one file and clicking Launch.
What does it cost? Can I get a refund?
$9.99, with a 20% launch sale from Tuesday, October 13 at 7 pm ET through October 20. It's a one-time purchase on itch.io. If it doesn't work for you, you get a full refund within 30 days, no reason needed.
Is it made by Valve?
No. Gripspeak is made by one developer, Wesley. It was built with help from an AI coding assistant, and every feature was tested on a real Frame. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Valve.