While details are extremely light, we now know Valve's VR headset is called the Valve Index and more details are coming soon.
A new page popped up on Steam and what's there is a single image giving us a teaser of the Valve Index VR headset:
This was actually leaked back in November last year which I reported on and the leaked images certainly match up to Valve's teaser of the Index above. So all we really know right now is the name and either more information or an actual release will be in May. Still, it's quite exciting!
Hopefully the Linux experience will be good, although considering all the work Valve has put in and contracted people to work on various parts of Linux by the time it releases we might see reasonable out of the box support.
The one thing I am still concerned about is price, as the HTC Vive, the only currently official SteamVR headset, is still around £500 and likely out of reach for many people (myself included). Hopefully the Valve Index will see a lower price for more to jump in and experience it.
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This also means that the Knuckles will be out soon, just like at least one game from Valve. Sooooo excited :D
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Arstechnica has an interesting image with enhanced contrast: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/03/valve-index-is-the-game-makers-brand-new-vr-headset-slated-for-may-2019/
A couple dots are barely visible on it, but it hints at it being compatible with the lighthouse tracking system :)
Of course, there's no telling whether it also includes inside-out tracking... But those lenses might be able to provide great AR experiences :)
A couple dots are barely visible on it, but it hints at it being compatible with the lighthouse tracking system :)
Of course, there's no telling whether it also includes inside-out tracking... But those lenses might be able to provide great AR experiences :)
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The one thing I am still concerned about is price, as the HTC Vive, the only currently official SteamVR headset, is still around £500 and likely out of reach for many people (myself included).I have a feeling the price is being set by HTC, that have decided to mostly target the "Proffesional" markets with them and it's one of the reasons Valve are making this headset. SteamVR won't be able to compete with Occulus if it's headsets cost 2x. So I expect these will be priced better than the HTC stuff.
Arstechnica has an interesting image with enhanced contrast: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/03/valve-index-is-the-game-makers-brand-new-vr-headset-slated-for-may-2019/Yeah i read that, though it seems the Ars author is unaware that Lighthouse tracking is Valve tech
A couple dots are barely visible on it, but it hints at it being compatible with the lighthouse tracking system :)
Of course, there's no telling whether it also includes inside-out tracking... But those lenses might be able to provide great AR experiences :)
Last edited by Disharmonic on 30 March 2019 at 11:16 am UTC
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So are they still partnering with HTC ?
Will they keep distributing all those headsets ?
(Vive, Vive Pro, Vive Cosmos, Vive Focus AND Index ?)
Will they keep distributing all those headsets ?
(Vive, Vive Pro, Vive Cosmos, Vive Focus AND Index ?)
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So are they still partnering with HTC ?Well, the Vive/Pro was the only SteamVR headset anyway.
Will they keep distributing all those headsets ?
(Vive, Vive Pro, Vive Cosmos, Vive Focus AND Index ?)
We've no idea if HTC will continue doing it, we know basically nothing at this point. If the Index costs less and is at least as good as the Vive, is there any need?
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So are they still partnering with HTC ?
Will they keep distributing all those headsets ?
(Vive, Vive Pro, Vive Cosmos, Vive Focus AND Index ?)
HTC is completely out. They are doing their own thing (Vive Pro Eye and Viveport).
Valve produces those HMDs in-house.
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Well, hopefully it's gonna be cheap, with Steam they can make money later with people buying VR games. VR needs to be more common to flourish, so it wouldnt make sense to keep it expensive hobby. Price of admission will go down with every VR generation.
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Well, hopefully it's gonna be cheap, with Steam they can make money later with people buying VR games. VR needs to be more common to flourish, so it wouldnt make sense to keep it expensive hobby. Price of admission will go down with every VR generation.
They are still facing a lot of publishers switching to Epic store. So money might not be so great lately. :(
(Hence so much effort to get both Linux and VR on tracks so they become leader of a new huge market.) IMHO
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I wish them luck but I still have not seen any value to this form of gaming. Maybe because the only genres I play have zero use for VR.
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I wish them luck but I still have not seen any value to this form of gaming. Maybe because the only genres I play have zero use for VR.
Never played something like Beat Saber or Superhot VR?
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Expalphalog Mar 30, 2019
I hate rhythm games - largely because I have no rhythm and hate electronic music.
But I am a huge board gamer and even if Tabletop Simulator is the only VR game in my library, I still very much want a headset.
But I am a huge board gamer and even if Tabletop Simulator is the only VR game in my library, I still very much want a headset.
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Price of admission will go down with every VR generation.That has been the mantra for the last 25 years – anyone remember the VFX-1 and Cybermaxx? Good times were had in Descent, back in the 90's...
It's always been just beyond the pain threshold for the average consumer market, or in other words, reserved for the affluent enthusiast.
I don't see that changing in the near future, unless someone creates a killer app that basically requires VR as opposed to merely enhancing the experience. Descent looked like that back in the day, but neither it nor VR did really take off. I seriously think it'll take a neural interface for VR to become really viable; nobody's comfortable wearing a pound or two of hardware on their heads for any amount of time.
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Woop, hyped.
I bought a vive some time ago but htc was not able to fix the screens so i used papal to get my money back and send them back the vive. However vr is awsome once you have tried it but with htc's support being crap and facebook being a no go i did not have a chance but wait.
But may is very soon jej!
I bought a vive some time ago but htc was not able to fix the screens so i used papal to get my money back and send them back the vive. However vr is awsome once you have tried it but with htc's support being crap and facebook being a no go i did not have a chance but wait.
But may is very soon jej!
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Price of admission will go down with every VR generation.That has been the mantra for the last 25 years – anyone remember the VFX-1 and Cybermaxx? Good times were had in Descent, back in the 90's...
Because the technology wasn't there yet. It's pretty damn good right now and more and more affordable. The PSVR is rather cheap and even those WMR HMDs are supposedly rather fine.
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Better, yes. More affordable, marginally. Still too expensive, and still too clunky, for anyone besides enthusiasts. Without mass market adoption, it's going to stay niche. Maybe I'm jaded, but I see it fade away just as it did back then, and have a big revival in another ten or twenty years ;)Price of admission will go down with every VR generation.That has been the mantra for the last 25 years – anyone remember the VFX-1 and Cybermaxx? Good times were had in Descent, back in the 90's...
Because the technology wasn't there yet. It's pretty damn good right now and more and more affordable. The PSVR is rather cheap and even those WMR HMDs are supposedly rather fine.
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Better, yes.Much much better than that stuff from the 90s.
More affordable, marginally.Marginally? When the Vive came out it was like 800-900€/$. The WMR headsets are already being sold for 200$.
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It's a pretty safe assumption that this will be the best choice of VR set for Linux gamers, both in the short and longer term. I really can't wait to hear more.
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I like the big cameras and smallish look of it. Makes me think it will be good for assisted reality as well as VR.
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Better, yes. More affordable, marginally. Still too expensive, and still too clunky, for anyone besides enthusiasts. Without mass market adoption, it's going to stay niche. Maybe I'm jaded, but I see it fade away just as it did back then, and have a big revival in another ten or twenty years ;)Price of admission will go down with every VR generation.That has been the mantra for the last 25 years – anyone remember the VFX-1 and Cybermaxx? Good times were had in Descent, back in the 90's...
Because the technology wasn't there yet. It's pretty damn good right now and more and more affordable. The PSVR is rather cheap and even those WMR HMDs are supposedly rather fine.
The VFX-1 sold for $695 back in 1995, that is equivalent to $1166 in today's money when accounting for inflation. And it was 263x230 72Hz which is orders of magnitude in comparison with a HTC Vive.
Last edited by F.Ultra on 30 March 2019 at 11:32 pm UTC
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