Valve is already planning a Steam Deck 2, and, throughout an interview about this future gadget, Gabe Newell, the co-founder and president of Valve, stated that some sort of VR functionality could make its strategy to the Steam Deck. Past the Steam Deck itself, the expertise powering the hand held console would possibly allow Valve to supply a wi-fi VR headset akin to Meta’s Oculus Quest 2. Again in August of final yr, Greg Coomer, a product designer at Valve, answered a question about whether or not the Steam Deck’s customized APU would possibly seem in a standalone VR headset by saying, “We’re not able to say something about it, however it might run effectively in that surroundings, with the TDP needed… it’s very related to us and our future plans.”
Nonetheless, the photographs and descriptions appear to level to a attainable wi-fi headset. The general design depicted within the photos seems fairly much like Valve’s present wired VR headset, the Valve Index. Nonetheless, the place the Index is open within the again, the design depicted within the patent software features a rear housing. With reference to this extra element, one of many descriptions reads, “The harness could couple to a rear housing disposed in the back of the HMD. The rear housing could accommodate numerous computing parts of the HMD.” One other part of the doc (PDF) says that attainable parts may embody each a battery and processors.
This similar analyst beforehand discovered proof in SteamVR software program that Valve’s subsequent era VR headset is presently codenamed “Deckard.” Deckard is the final identify of the protagonist within the sci-fi novel, later tailored right into a film, Blade Runner. The identify additionally consists of “Deck,” doubtlessly indicating that the headset will certainly be powered by the Steam Deck’s customized APU.
Prime picture courtesy of Valve