According to the latest news, Valve could have a second VR headset in development with a standalone design similar to Facebook’s Oculus Quest headset line up. The new headset was brought to light by YouTuber Brad Lynch. He found multiple references in Valve’s SteamVR code to a device codenamed “Deckard”. The YouTuber then cross referenced those against the company’s recent patent applications.
Ars Technica confirmed that most of Lynch’s findings are accurate and Valve does have a second headset prototype in development. The new headset has a built in processor that could allow it to work without being tethered to a PC by a cable.
Reports of a standalone headset are interesting in light of the announcement of Valve’s handheld Steam Deck console that runs on a semi custom AMD processor. The FAQ section of Valve has made it clear that the current console is not optimized for VR.
In a recent Steam Deck interview Valve’s Greg Coomer said “We’re not ready to say anything about using the AMD processor in a VR headset but it would run well in that environment, with the TDP necessary… it’s very relevant to us and our future plans.”
It is to be noted that Valve developing something internally does not guarantee that it will be released commercially. But since the company has already released one VR headset, there is a fair chance that the company might release its own standalone hand held console commercially.
