Virtual reality headsets are now rolling out of R&D labs every few months. The latest entrant to the VR headset race is Valve. Rumors have abounded for quite some time that game maker was working on its own virtual reality headset with the company having launched a previous virtual reality kit in the past in partnership with HTC. Now those whispers have become real with the revelation that the company posted an image on its website suggesting it’s on the verge of launching a new virtual reality headset called Valve Index.

Valve Index
Valve Index: Launching soon?

Not much is known about the headset for now apart from its name. The company established a teaser website where it’s inviting prospective users to come and upgrade their experience. The company has also listed May 2019 as the likely launch date for its new VR headset.

The teaser provides a good look of the headset although the specs and the prices have not been specified. Valve has had an excellent track record as a tech company so it is expected that its VR hardware will be up to standard. The company is known for developing hit shooting games such as Portal and Half-Life. It is also the company behind the battle strategy game Dota 2. Valve also runs the popular online game store Steam and has been a pioneer in virtual reality technology. Now the company seems to be transitioning from software into the hardware realm.

The company is currently tight-lipped on its new effort, only promising that it will have more information soon.

Valve’s decision to launch a virtual reality headset has been quite a surprise. The company has in the recent past appeared to be mainly focused on assisting its partner HTC develop its $499 Vive headsets. Valve was known more as a technological incubator than a hardware developer. Some of its innovations have included lighthouse sensors that help in powering Vive headsets. The company has also developed prototypes such as the knuckles controllers which are aimed at giving users newer and more enhanced ways of controlling things with hands inside the virtual worlds.

If the company immerses into the VR hardware market, it will have to contend with some of the fiercest competitors in the industry that are already ahead of the curve such as Facebook with its Oculus VR line of products or VTC Vive products. Facebook’s upcoming Oculus Rift S virtual reality headset which goes for only $399 and promises superb specs which display detailed and intricately complex visual images of video games and virtual worlds is likely to be a strong competitor.

The new Valve Index VR headset would also have to contend with Sony and its PlayStation VR that is powered separately by the PS4 video game console and which has seen strong sales over the past few years.

https://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Valve-Index-Headset-Coming-Soon-1-600x324.pnghttps://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Valve-Index-Headset-Coming-Soon-1-150x90.pngSam OchanjiHardwareValve IndexVR HeadsetsVirtual reality headsets are now rolling out of R&D labs every few months. The latest entrant to the VR headset race is Valve. Rumors have abounded for quite some time that game maker was working on its own virtual reality headset with the company having launched a previous virtual...VR, Oculus Rift, and Metaverse News - Cryptocurrency, Adult, Sex, Porn, XXX