Earlier this week, a distinguished Valve leaker promised we might lastly see Valve’s wi-fi VR successor to the Index, codenamed Deckard, in 2025. With Meta totally concentrating on the low finish with price range {hardware} and free-to-play video games, I am relieved that at the very least three XR corporations are swooping in to maintain VR energy customers pleased in 2025.
In keeping with Gabe Follower, a number of folks “have confirmed” Deckard will arrive “by the top of 2025,” operating the identical SteamOS as Steam Deck and priced at a whopping $1,200 for the total bundle with “in-house video games” — and it will nonetheless “be bought at a loss” regardless of that worth.
A number of folks have confirmed that Valve is aiming to launch new standalone, wi-fi VR headset (codename Deckard) by the top of 2025. The present worth for the total bundle is about to be $1200. Together with some “in-house” video games (or demos) which are already executed. Valve wish to give… pic.twitter.com/alHzQuwNvcFebruary 26, 2025
Not like Valve Index, its long-awaited successor might be wi-fi and will not require a separate PC to play video games. Valve clearly acknowledged the mass enchantment of wi-fi, standalone Quest headsets and the latest reputation of transportable PCs like Steam Deck when designing Deckard.
The important thing distinction from Quest is that Meta makes strategic design cutbacks to focus on the bottom potential worth level for mass enchantment, whereas Deckard is not holding something again, with a worth that displays that philosophy. Does that make Deckard irrelevant?
Former Meta CTO John Carmack lately trivialized PC VR as a “boutique area of interest” and downplayed the critically acclaimed Half-Life: Alyx as much less “necessary” than Beat Saber. Proper now, mainstream VR followers are flocking to the Meta Quest 3S and spending all their time enjoying Gorilla Tag and Horizon Worlds. Meta itself pivoted to prioritize free-to-play content material as a result of microtransactions earn more money than high-quality Quest video games.
Every time I publish one thing crucial of Meta’s dealing with of VR, there are all the time some previous timers that pile on with “Yeah! Extra AAA PC VR Video games is the best way to win!”. To be clear — standalone VR was the largest win that VR ever had, by an enormous margin, and Beat Saber was much more…February 6, 2025
So, in that context, you may assume that the ultra-powerful Deckard might be nothing however a PC VR novelty for a tiny ecosystem of vocal followers with an excessive amount of cash. However I would argue it represents rather more than that.
For starters, even when PC VR gross sales are a lot decrease than Quest’s, that was all the time partially due to the trouble required to get Steam Hyperlink working and the additional PC value. An all-in-one machine with native Steam Hyperlink — as an alternative of Meta’s often-irritating and buggy wi-fi workaround — will give PC VR the identical mainstream enchantment because the Meta retailer. And we might see extra VR-2D crossplay with Steam video games like Amongst Us 3D bridging the hole.
Extra importantly, with PSVR 2 flopping and Apple’s unclear XR future after the exorbitant Imaginative and prescient Professional, we want extra competitors within the VR gaming house. Particularly, I feel we want a AAA different to Quest to remind avid gamers that VR is not totally turning into a kiddie metaverse. The “boutique area of interest” issues, at the very least to maintain builders invested within the house.
Valve, Samsung, or Asus? Take your decide!
Valve Deckard is simply one potential Quest “rival” that’ll present a much-needed breath of contemporary air for customers and builders, even when its uncooked gross sales cannot compete with the eventual Quest 4.
One other competitor is Mission Moohan, Samsung’s premium headset powered by Google’s Android XR platform, which might value much more than Deckard. Google and Samsung have assured devs that they wish to help VR video games on Moohan; even when it is extra of a Quest Professional or Imaginative and prescient Professional analog, Samsung’s headset ought to enchantment to individuals who need a greater steadiness of video games and apps, in addition to a high-res digital desktop house.
In some methods, I am most intrigued by the third-party Meta Horizon OS headsets, just like the upcoming ASUS ROG VR headset. Meta is sharing its software program and gaming library with corporations like Lenovo and ASUS, and the latter is particularly making a “efficiency gaming headset.”
Distinguished VR leaker Lunayian claims this headset is codenamed Tarius and that it “will doubtless be one of many first 3P Horizon OS HMDs to ship.” Tarius allegedly has eye and face monitoring, in addition to superior shows with both “QD-LCD with native dimming or μOLED.”
NEW: Particulars on the upcoming ASUS ROG VR headset operating Meta Horizon OS.It’s codenamed Tarius, and can doubtless be one of many first 3P Horizon OS HMDs to ship.It’s deliberate to incorporate Eye Monitoring and Face Monitoring. The shows might be QD-LCD with native dimming or µOLED. pic.twitter.com/K5pYxcBK4hJanuary 12, 2025
Whether or not we get micro-OLED on par with the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional or just get native dimming like the unique Quest Professional provided, it will be a step up on most Quest headsets, to not point out eye monitoring for improved efficiency through foveated rendering and higher avatars for social VR with face monitoring.
I would not be stunned if this model finally ends up costing twice as a lot because the Quest 3, but it surely’ll really feel like a model of Quest that is now not holding again when it comes to efficiency and cameras. Meta’s idea artwork above appears to recommend the ASUS ROG headset may have an Elite-style strap in-built, which any premium headset ought to have by default. Better of all, your Quest library will carry over to this headset due to Meta Horizon OS.
We do not know if this headset will arrive in 2025 like Moohan and Deckard, however we have now a robust motive to hope!
Our greatest VR headsets listing has been too brief and Quest-dominated for a very long time. It isn’t that I dislike Quest, however I consider that competitors is desperately wanted to maintain the VR house contemporary and thrilling.
I am more and more hopeful that 2025 would be the 12 months that the VR world is shaken up. Except for Valve Deckard, Samsung Mission Moohan, and ASUS ROG Tarius, we have now Sony’s productiveness headset operating Android XR and Lenovo’s productiveness headset operating Meta Horizon OS. The latter two aren’t particularly thrilling to me personally, however I do know they will enchantment to people who could not afford the Imaginative and prescient Professional.
Personally, based mostly on the leaked data above, I’ll take an extended, arduous take a look at my price range to see if I will have the ability to afford Deckard later this 12 months.
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