Valve's next headset is apparently taking the Oculus Quest route, and won't require a PC
Proof of concept files for an AMD-powered standalone, wireless headset have been found, hinting at what Valve may be working on next.
It looks like Valve may be working on a second VR headset as a successor to the Index, and this time it seems to be targeting a standalone, wireless model that'd work more like on Oculus Quest or Oculus Quest 2.
Hints that the company that owns Steam is working on this new hardware initially came from YouTuber Brad Lynch who found multiple references in Valve’s SteamVR code “Deckard” – a nice, sci-fi codename for the theoretical headset.
Lynch noted that "Valve [has] been retooling the Deckard to work with Steam VR for the past year," and that the various files discovered in the Steam VR database – ranging from input profile references to proof of concept files – hint at a more standalone design than what we've seen from Valve in the past.
The headset may also have wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi, and may use the same semi-custom AMD processor that we'll be seeing in the Steam Deck units when they ship later this year. A Valve FAQ does note that the PC/console hybrid is “not optimized” for VR, however Valve noted in an interview with The Verge that the chip is "very relevant to us and our future plans." Hmm.
It makes sense that Valve wants to horn in on Facebook's premium wireless heasdset VR racket – our own Tom Orry was so impressed by the latest VR headset that he opined that you could "forget PS5 and Xbox Series X if you want a next-gen wow" because "Oculus Quest 2 is your best option". High praise indeed!