Recently, two videos have been posted regarding Valve's next steps for VR. One is from Tyler McVicker. The other is from Thrillseeker. I haven't seen much discussion of this online except for a few news outlets that report on rumors and leaks, so I wanted to get people's opinions here.
There are a few interesting takeaways. The first is that Tyler is saying this is a handheld system while Thrillseeker is decidedly on the idea that this is standalone VR only. I don't have an opinion either way (it's just rumors), but it did get me thinking.
There are a few interesting takeaways. The first is that Tyler is saying this is a handheld system while Thrillseeker is decidedly on the idea that this is standalone VR only. I don't have an opinion either way (it's just rumors), but it did get me thinking.
- Multiple SKUs. You can't have everything in one package.
- An Index Pro or Index 2 with eye tracking, brain-computer interface (BCI), higher FOV and/or resolution with a premium price tag is still something VR enthusiasts would like to see. $900-1200 for something premium.
- A handheld device with an onboard screen and CPU. This sorta makes sense and could benefit from Valve's Steam Link software for more demanding games.
- A standalone HMD to compete with the Quest 2, which is currently dominating the VR space. A closed ecosystem like the Quest is a threat to Steam/Valve. This is a no-brainer.
- Steam Controller 2. I think this might be a thing. I would like to have something that can be tracked in VR and be reprogrammable like the first Steam Controller.
- What might be interesting would be a combo of the handheld console + a standalone headset. Except, instead of having a CPU/GPU in the HMD, rendering is offloaded to the console and the video wirelessly beamed to the HMD. My thinking is that,
- 1) you will likely have a dock anyway, similar to how Switch has a dock, so this dock could connect to your PC (if you have one), similar to the breakout boxes in the original Vive for high-end VR
- 2) Steam Link on the console will rely on fast wireless anyway, so that hardware will already be there. By separating the CPU from the HMD, you can minimize weight. The drawback is double the wireless hardware, batteries, and screen. This would bring the cost up.
- 3) This would allow people to get the HMD and use it in wired (or wireless paired to computer) mode if they don't want the handheld, or to take the handheld and the HMD with them if they want to do VR on the go (a use case that I think is much more infrequent for most VR users).
- Another thing that's probably happening in addition to an Index 2.0 is some kind of upgrade to the Index 1.0 to give it an external CPU or BCI or whatever is coming out next so that the early adopters don't feel like they're missing out on features.
- Why I think that last note is interesting is that it signals to me that whatever these new features are, Valve thinks they're going to be required for whatever next game they are working on. If BCI or eye tracking are that important to Portal VR or Half-life VR or whatever is next, they don't want their early adopters to feel like they're missing out or have to spend $1000 on the new next thing.