Skip to main content

Wide-open Valve: More than 50 developers now certified to produce SteamVR hardware

One of the fundamental differences with the way Valve has handled its virtual reality development — compared to Oculus — is that it has been pretty open. It shared early prototypes with Oculus and others and has opened up its SteamVR platform for third-party developers. Now, after completing a mandatory course on tracking, more than 50 developers are qualified to begin working on SteamVR hardware.

Part of the deal that those developers for SteamVR made was to pay for and complete a licensing course provided by product development firm Synapse. Although that course did set back attendees just shy of $3,000 apiece, it means that there will be no licensing fees or royalties.. Once the course is finished, developers can make any SteamVR hardware they like using Valve patents.

Recommended Videos

Related: Valve hints at a new SteamVR controller, second-gen Lighthouse system for 2017

While this might sound like Valve trying to get licensing money upfront from companies which may not end up with a completed product, it is more likely aimed at ensuring that people know what they’re doing. With the VR industry in its current fledgling state, the last thing Valve needs are people who don’t know how to make VR a comfortable and marketable experience.

Warning: Synapse has the gain on the following video jacked way too high. Look out for distortion and bleeding ear drums.

Sneak Peek: Designing Tracked Objects for Steam VR

Synapse has been offering support for Valve’s own VR developments and now it is in charge of expanding that know-how beyond Valve’s offices. Although it has already given 50 developers the thumbs up to create qualified, professional VR hardware and experiences, many more are interested and in fact, RoadtoVR tells us that course slots in November and December are filling up fast.

If you’d like to be on one of these courses, make sure you sign up now to avoid disappointment.

What does this mean for the rest of us non-developers? It means that the future is bright for Valve’s hardware offerings and APIs, as there are a lot of companies out there now looking to develop new hardware and software to utilize it.

While this will likely lead to new, third-party alternatives to existing hardware, that’s what has helped make other markets healthy and competitive over the long term, so we’re excited to see what developers other than Valve/HTC can come up with in the SteamVR space.

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…
I found the best Prime Day deal on a tablet hidden beyond Amazon
Microsoft Surface Pro 12-inch, stylus, and keyboard.

A good tablet can take your productivity to the next level, but a boring one will find a niche use and eat dust on a table or couch for most of its time. I love iPads and have been pushing them – as far as I can — to act as my primary computing machine for nearly half a decade now. It has never managed to replace a proper laptop, like a MacBook Air or a Windows machine. 

Why not buy a Windows laptop, you might ask? Well, Windows-powered tablets, especially those Surface devices sold by Microsoft, are pretty expensive. I love the new 12-inch Surface Pro, but at $799, it felt like a steep purchase despite its impressive specifications. 

Read more
Prime Day is over, but this powerful Dell laptop is still at its lowest price
The Dell Vostro 3530 laptop on a white background.

Prime Day is already over, but that doesn't mean that there are no more laptop deals for you to shop on Amazon. Here's one that caught our eye -- the Dell Vostro 3530 with 32GB of RAM for its lowest-ever price of $649, following a 28% discount on its original price of $899. This limited-time offer of $250 off may not last much longer though, so if you want to take advantage of this bargain, we highly recommend that you finalize your purchase for this device as soon as you can.

Buy Now

Read more
This Lenovo all-in-one computer is 30% off even though Prime Day has ended
The Lenovo V100 All-in-One Desktop Computer on a white background.

Even though Prime Day is already finished, there are still some excellent desktop computer deals on Amazon. If you don't have much space, or you just want to avoid clutter, you should take a look at the Lenovo V100 All-in-One PC. From its original price of $800, it's all the way down to just $560 following a 30% discount. The offer for this machine will only be available for a limited time though, so you need to act fast and proceed with the transaction immediately to secure the savings of $240.

Buy Now

Read more