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Rumor mill: Leaks recently indicated that Valve might introduce successors to the Steam Controller and Index headset with substantial upgrades this year. If new information proves accurate, the company doesn’t plan to compete with the price of the Meta Quest 3, aiming for a premium experience instead.
Content creator “Gabe Follower” claims that Valve’s rumored standalone VR headset is set to launch before the end of 2025. The information aligns with recent leaks suggesting the company could soon begin mass-producing an unannounced VR controller.
Like Valve’s Index headset, the standalone device would be sold separately or as part of a bundle, with the full package costing $1,200. Although information regarding technical specs remains elusive, the company will take a loss on each unit despite the steep price, suggesting a high-end product.
Several people have confirmed that Valve is aiming to release new standalone, wireless VR headset (codename Deckard) by the end of 2025. The current price for the full bundle is set to be $1200. Including some “in-house” games (or demos) that are already done. Valve want to give… pic.twitter.com/alHzQuwNvc
– Gabe Follower (@gabefollower) February 26, 2025
The bundle would include the headset, two VR controllers, and multiple games that have finished development. It’s unclear whether they are small-scale demonstrations like Aperture Desk Job for the Steam Deck or ambitious projects like the well-regarded Half-Life: Alyx.
Valve’s new headset would run a version of SteamOS adapted for a VR interface. In addition to VR games, any title that supports the Steam Deck would be playable in flat-screen mode without connecting to a PC. Since SteamOS is a custom Arch Linux distro, the headset’s functionality might resemble a fully featured PC with broader potential software support than the Meta Quest or Apple Vision Pro.
References to the device, codenamed “Deckard,” initially appeared in a Valve driver file in 2021. Late last year, internal renders for updated VR controllers emerged as the first solid evidence of the company’s new VR plans. The designs appear final, suggesting that manufacturing could start this year.
Codenamed “Roy,” the controllers resemble Meta Quest 3 controllers with additional buttons and a directional pad. Schematics for a new Steam Controller, tentatively named “Ibex,” also leaked, combining the Steam Deck’s trackpads with a conventional controller layout.
Meta currently dominates the VR market with the affordable Quest 3, while Apple has ceased production of its $3,500 Vision Pro AR headset. Despite the Quest 3’s commercial success, Meta continues to lose billions on its Metaverse research, with total investments now exceeding $100 billion.
Although Valve hasn’t confirmed plans to update its VR hardware, the company still maintains SteamVR. If a successor to the Index appears, Valve might be content with a niche product while half of all SteamVR users continue accessing the software with Meta Quest headsets.
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