Valve would be working on a wireless VR headset codenamed “Deckard”

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Valve would be working on a new VR headset after the Valve Index, or at least according to investigators who have discovered references to a new headset prototype within the SteamVR code. If the rumors are true, this new headset is a standalone one that would work without a PC.

Information about this upcoming headset comes from YouTuber VR Brad Lynch, who reports that members of his community have discovered multiple references to something codenamed Deckard in the SteamVR code. He then crossed that name with Valve’s recent patents and presumably found several references to the headset with an internal processor and possibly antennas that will allow it to connect to WiFi, suggesting it is a standalone headset.

The existence of a new Valve headset was later confirmed by insiders at Ars Technica, who said Valve was working on a new headset, but it’s probably nowhere near a commercial release. Sources from Ars also suggest that Valve is working on some form of internal tracking so future headsets don’t require base stations to operate.

Valve already has an internal VR headset, Index, which sold out shortly before the release of Half-Life Alyx. So the idea that he is making another one is not outlandish. Also, one of the biggest advantages of its most popular competition, the Oculus Quest 2, is that it doesn’t need to be plugged into a powerful PC to function. Lynchs’ test description is unclear as to whether the headset will be truly self-contained or still need a PC but can be connected to it wirelessly.

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Given that Valve will release Steam Deck in a few months, the company is likely to focus on the success of that device before attempting to launch or reveal anything else. But given that the company is making a PC that can be plugged into a portable device, it wouldn’t be too difficult for them to produce a standalone headset.

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