Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Valve Index VR headset revealed, more info coming in May

Aaron Mamiit
By
The Valve Index headset
The upcoming Valve Index virtual reality headset. Valve

Valve launched a teaser website for the Valve Index headset Friday evening — confirming that the company is working on its own virtual reality headset.

Rumors that a standalone Valve VR headset is on the way intensified last November, when leaked images revealed prototype versions of the device. The images revealed two visible cameras and integrated headphones; sources claimed that it would feature a 135-degree field of view compared to the 110-degree field of view of the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, and resolution that would match the HTC Vive Pro. The VR headset was also rumored to be bundled with Valve’s Knuckles controllers and a Half-Life VR game, which may be a prequel to the series instead of the long-awaited Half-Life 3.

Recommended Videos

Valve teamed up with HTC on the HTC Vive, which was rolled out in 2016, and the HTC Vive Pro, which was released last year. The Valve Index will be made solely by the gaming company, and it will challenge the HTC Vive in the VR headset space.

There is not much to go on when looking at the Valve Index teaser website though, which is accompanied with text reading “Upgrade your experience” and the May 2019 date. The Verge lit up the image of the VR headset, and discovered that the device will have as many as four wide-angle cameras. This supposedly suggests that it will have inside-out tracking, a feature also found in the Oculus Quest that allows players to move around spaces without requiring base stations or external tracking cameras.

The Valve Index also has an adjustment slider, which The Verge assumes is for inter-pupillary distance, or IPD. The feature allows people to tweak VR headsets if their eyes are closer together or further apart than average, to make the experience more comfortable.

Several questions remain regarding the Valve Index though, primarily if it will be a standalone VR headset or if it will require being hooked up to a high-end PC. It is also unclear why Valve decided to pursue the development of its own VR headset when it already had a partnership in place with HTC. The May 2019 date, meanwhile, may be the device’s release date, or it could be an unveiling of more information.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Aaron Mamiit
Aaron Mamiit
Contributor
Aaron received a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was 4 years old, and he has been fascinated with…
Apple just patented a new VR headset controller — but there’s a catch
Apple VR Headset Concept by Antonio De Rosa

Apple’s mixed-reality headset is due to launch this June at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and a freshly published patent hints at some of the controllers Apple might offer with the device. But some major caveats could prevent these accessories from ever seeing the light of day.

The patent (number 20230096068) describes how Apple could create a handheld controller with a “torque feedback mechanism” to provide immersive physical responses while using a mixed-reality headset. That might help offset the drawbacks of virtual input methods (like touchscreens), which can “detract from the realism” of the experience and leave a user unsure if their input has properly registered, according to Apple.

Read more
Apple’s Reality Pro headset just got demoed in a secret ceremony
A rendering of four Apple mixed-reality headsets (Reality Pro) in various colors sitting on a surface.

Apple’s mysterious Reality Pro headset just hit a major milestone last week when it was demonstrated in a large-scale ceremony to around 100 of the company’s top executives. That’s encouraging, as showing it off to so many high-ranking employees suggests the device is almost ready for launch.

The revelation comes from Mark Gurman’s weekly Power On newsletter, wherein the Bloomberg journalist explained that the event marks a notable turning point in the mixed-reality headset’s development ahead of its anticipated launch at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.

Read more
Some Apple staff concerned about its high-tech headset, report claims
A rendering of an Apple mixed-reality headset (Reality Pro) in a gray color seen from the front.

Apple is expected to launch its first mixed-reality headset in the next few months, but a report by the New York Times on Sunday suggests that some at the company have doubts about its potential for success.

Citing eight current and former Apple employees, the Times said that for some at the company, “enthusiasm has given way to skepticism” regarding the AR/VR headset, which is likely to be unveiled at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.

Read more