Valve confirms Stand-Alone VR future

[Zenbane]

Gabel Newell confirmed what many have speculated on over recent months: The fact that Valve will be moving towards Stand-Alone VR.

“One of the things [Deck] represents is battery-capable, high-performance horsepower that eventually you could use in VR applications as well. You can take the PC and build something that is much more transportable. We’re not really there yet, but this is a stepping stone.”

This seems to echo comments made by Valve product designer Greg Coomer back in August. When asked directly by The Verge whether Steam Deck’s chip could be used in a standalone VR headset, Coomer said it would “run well in that environment” and “it’s very relevant to us and our future plans”.

https://uploadvr.com/valve-steam-deck-stepping-stone-standalone-vr/

Personally, I am very excited to see Valve moving away from the archaic tethered VR approach. As millions of Quest 2 users have understood first-hand, once you go tetherless VR, it is very difficult to go back to a wired VR experience. The cables simply break immersion moreso than any other feature (e.g. Graphic Quality, Integrated Sound).

When it comes to VR for Gaming specifically, Valve has a great niche, and I can't wait to see what they release next. The more competition we see in this space, the better products (both hardware and software) the consumers will get to enjoy.

😁

[user_901925786032222]

I'd love to see a capable, untethered, standalone PCVR headset but I think the important word up there is "could". Steam Deck is still hilariously low resolution compared to a VR headset and we all know that ramping up those pixels is the biggest hurdle to overcome.

[Bendit74]

It would be hard to make a lightweight standalone PCVR headset. My GTX 1070 Amp weighs more than the whole Quest 2 headset! Nobody wants a gaming PC strapped to their faces.  🙂  The copper used in the heatsinks alone would make you face plant.

Also price point. A good GPU alone is worth more than the 256GB Quest 2 by several factors!

I think AirLink is an amazing solution, currently.

[Zenbane]

It may take quite a few years, but I do think technology will continue to shrink physically while maintaining powerful output. Afterall, telephones went from Giant Tethered Hardware to Giant Tetherless Hardware to Small Computer Phones.

Perhaps Quantum Computing will be they key?

https://www.hpcwire.com/off-the-wire/nvidia-sets-record-for-quantum-computing-simulation-with-cuquan...

[user_901925786032222]

It'll happen one day. That'll be a good day.

[Bendit74]

Also, the current AirLink situation is great too because you can upgrade your PCVR computer components without having to change hardware on your headset. Keeping them separate has value.

[Zenbane]

---

@Bendit74 wrote:

Also, the current AirLink situation is great too because you can upgrade your PCVR computer components without having to change hardware on your headset. Keeping them separate has value.

---

Agreed. Granted, there is also value in chasing the goal of integrating them in to one unit. PC's will likely remain ahead of any all-in-one unit for ages, but there's plenty of value in pursuing their integration with all-in-one.

These technological advances are not mutually exclusive. We can still have all-in-one units that integrate with PCs. There's no reason to stunt the growth in this effort.

[Bendit74]

Yes no reason to stunt it. The price point of a all-in-one unit will be very different though? I would dislike paying for hardware I'm not really using. It's sort of the current scenario for me right now. A Quest 2 with 64GB would suffice since I am running games from my PC, and not really from the Quest 2 itself... But I bought a 256GB model.  🙂

[Pixie40]

I expect Valves first stand alone headset wont be full PCVR in and of it's self. I'll probably still require a PC and wireless connection to stream PCVR to. Which is still bloody amazing.

[Zenbane]

---

@Bendit74 wrote:

Yes no reason to stunt it. The price point of a all-in-one unit will be very different though? I would dislike paying for hardware I'm not really using.

---

So then why buy an All-in-One unit in the first place if your goal is strictly PCVR? Quest 2 is made to function independently of PCVR. The fact that it integrates with PCVR is a great bonus, but it is 100% built and marketed as All-In-One. If you don't want to pay for hardware that you are not really using, and PCVR is your main interest, then you should consider a PCVR HMD like the HP Reverb or Valve Index.

There's nothing to be gained by intentionally stunting the progress of Stand-Alone for the millions of its users just because a few dozen PCVR enthusiasts decided to buy a Stand-Alone headset instead of a more appropriate PCVR headset.