Valve Developing Two Potential VR Headsets, ‘Deckard’ Production Underway
Valve is reportedly working on two distinct versions of its next-generation virtual reality headset, internally codenamed ‘Deckard,’ with mass production already initiated, according to recent findings.
Information surfaced from the latest SteamVR beta code, shared by VR enthusiast SadlyItsDadly, reveals references to ‘Deckard DV1’ and ‘Deckard DV2.’ The ‘DV’ designation reportedly signifies final-stage internal models preceding consumer release. Further analysis from Chinese analyst group XR Research suggests the headset will launch this year and anticipates annual sales between 400,000 and 600,000 units.
The sales projections, while comparable to the Apple Vision Pro, are lower than many established VR headsets currently on the market. This has led to speculation that the ‘DV2’ model may be a premium, higher-priced offering, while ‘DV1’ could be a more accessible version released at a later date. The potential for a standalone headset – one not requiring a PC connection – could significantly broaden the appeal of VR technology to a wider audience. You can learn more about the current state of virtual reality technology on Road to VR.
Valve’s commitment to new VR hardware was publicly affirmed by company leader Gabe Newell in 2021, signaling a continued investment in the space. This development comes as the VR market continues to evolve, with companies vying for dominance in both consumer and enterprise applications; you can find more information on Valve’s official website.
Valve has not yet announced a release date or specifications for either ‘Deckard’ model, but further details are expected as the year progresses.
I’ve been writing about tech long enough to know that leaks often make us less certain about upcoming devices, not more, and that’s certainly the case with Valve Deckard news coming from the grapevine.
This potential upcoming Valve VR headset, which could potentially actually be called the Steam Frame and will potentially be a stand-alone device that doesn’t need to be plugged into a PC to run, may also come in two variants. Potentially.
This comes from esteemed VR leaker and Twitter user SadlyItsDadly, who shared code from the latest SteamVR beta, which mentions both ‘Deckard DV1’ and ‘Deckard DV2’. The post explains that ‘DV’ denotes that these are the final-stage internal models, prior to ‘PV’, which would be the consumer-ready headset.
The takeaway here is that there seem to be two different versions of Deckard in the works, and we could speculate about the differences until pigs fly, except that another piece of news gives us some extra information.
According to UploadVR, a Chinese analyst group called XR Research (never heard of them? No, me neither) has put out a grand piece of speculation about Deckard sales.
The firm states that the headset will release this year, as it’s already entered mass production, and is estimated to sell 400,000-600,000 units each year. This figure is, according to the source, in line with the Apple Vision Pro, and behind many other rivals in the VR space.
One could argue that it doesn’t bode well for Deckard that it’s already being compared to the Apple Vision Pro, a headset subject to more memes than sales, but this is where it links to SadlyItsDadly’s news.
If there are two versions of the Deckard, and one of them is speculated to only sell a limited amount of units akin to Apple’s pricey pair of goggles, it’s very possible that this could be a more premium and souped-up version. We could see it launch alongside another version of the device, which sells a lot more, but could come out a little later.
This is simple speculation for now, albeit speculation I come to knowing full well how these tech companies work (we always need a ‘Pro’ version of everything these days). But it’s speculation based on information from the hitherto-unknown XR Research, so we’re already drowning this in so much salt that fast food companies are getting jealous. Perhaps we could only see one version later this year after all. Perhaps we could see zero.
What we do know for sure is that Valve is making big investments in new headsets. We know this because Gabe Newell said so himself all the way back in 2021. So, unless the Valve Index 2 is around the corner, then Deckard it is.
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