Yeah, I've been really looking forward to this thing, but I don't like that little blurb at all. I totally get needing a sign-in to run Steam-purchased games directly on the headset, but it shouldn't be required for streaming or any of the other functionality. When a product requires sign-in to function, if that sign-in stops working for some reason (no internet, product out of support due to age, etc) then that product becomes an expensive brick. I'm hoping they just mean that it requires a sign-in to be used in standalone mode with Steam games. We'll see.

Granted it's a much more complex system than the controller, I do expect a means of using the headset and motion controllers outside of steam shortly after launch.

Given there are no tethered capabilities, I do wonder how complicated it would be to have this foveated streaming solution running elsewhere.

(I would prefer the option to plug a cable in, personally :/)

They're probably trying to head off scalpers this time. You know they will send a robot army to buy all these headsets up and jack the price on the used market.