Valve Reportedly Working On Two New VR Headsets
Recent leaks and data mining have revealed that Valve could be working on two new VR headsets. The company has previously released the Valve Index, the company’s first VR headset. It seems now the company is planning to release a standalone headset just like the Oculus Quest 2. As a standalone headset, it will come with a built-in processor that will allow it to work even without a PC.
Seeing Facebook’s success in the VR industry with the Oculus Quest makes sense for Valve to follow its example. This info comes from Youtuber Brad Lynch, who found multiple mentions of a device codenamed “Deckard” in SteamVR. He then checked the company’s recent patent applications. Ars Technica also backed up Lynch’s claims through their sources.
Valve’s two new VR headsets
According to Ars sources, Valve is working on two new headsets which diverged in the concept stage. One would be the Standalone VR headset “Deckard” and another VR headset just like Valve Index. So one standalone VR headset and one normal VR headset will require a gaming PC.
According to the leak, the new headsets will have better optics than Valve Index. They will allow users to be positioned closer to the user’s face for better comfort, weight distribution, and performance. The company’s current focus seems to be on its handheld Steam Deck console, which will be released in December 2021.
The normal headset will most likely be a successor to the Valve Index, while the standalone version will compete directly with Oculus Quest 2. However, Valve has to make its headsets more affordable to even compete with Facebook. Even that seems unlikely, seeing as the Valve Index is one of the most expensive VR headsets to date. However, take this news with a grain of salt as the company has a long history of working on projects only to cancel them later on.
