Valve Index 2 - How Likely is it?

[Lior]

How likely do you think it is that we will see a Valve Index 2 announcement in the next year? I would love to jump into the PC VR world, but given the age of the Index, I would rather wait until the next iteration before jumping in.

I would go Meta, but I don't trust them and would rather not give money to them over a company I actually want to support like Valve.

[Bob Loblaw]

Leading up to the index, there were numerous leaks about revolutionary new tech: the widest FOV ever, the knuckles, the next Half Life, and the related job postings at Valve. I wonder what could set the Deckhard apart from the Vive Pro 2 and the Bigscreen Beyond (and Varjo Aero and apple vision pro), which they've been able to keep secret. Valve's gamepad, steam link, and steamdeck were not me-to products. Valve has not had a me-too product strategy, as far as I can tell. Based on the lack of leaks, I think the project may have been shelved. The question I ask is what, if anything, do people (and developers) want in a VR HMD that isn't already available?

[grzegorz77]

Originally posted by Luka the Wanderer:

Valve Index 2 - How Likely is it?

How likely do you think it is that we will see a Valve Index 2 announcement in the next year? I would love to jump into the PC VR world, but given the age of the Index, I would rather wait until the next iteration before jumping in.

I would go Meta, but I don't trust them and would rather not give money to them over a company I actually want to support like Valve.

You still have a choice of ps vr2 + sony pc adapter.
In my opinion, at the moment the best pc vr set at a reasonable price.
Unless you need very high quality tracking because you will be mainly flying a helicopter in vtol for example. Then you need a vive tracking system, i.e. index.

[Lior]

Originally posted by grzegorz77:

Originally posted by Luka the Wanderer:

Valve Index 2 - How Likely is it?

How likely do you think it is that we will see a Valve Index 2 announcement in the next year? I would love to jump into the PC VR world, but given the age of the Index, I would rather wait until the next iteration before jumping in.

I would go Meta, but I don't trust them and would rather not give money to them over a company I actually want to support like Valve.

You still have a choice of ps vr2 + sony pc adapter.
In my opinion, at the moment the best pc vr set at a reasonable price.
Unless you need very high quality tracking because you will be mainly flying a helicopter in vtol for example. Then you need a vive tracking system, i.e. index.

I do have a PSVR2 and was thinking of the PC Adapter, but wasn't sure if there was going to be a Valve Index 2. If there is, I would rather save and just get that instead.

Originally posted by Bob Loblaw:

Leading up to the index, there were numerous leaks about revolutionary new tech: the widest FOV ever, the knuckles, the next Half Life, and the related job postings at Valve. I wonder what could set the Deckhard apart from the Vive Pro 2 and the Bigscreen Beyond (and Varjo Aero and apple vision pro), which they've been able to keep secret. Valve's gamepad, steam link, and steamdeck were not me-to products. Valve has not had a me-too product strategy, as far as I can tell. Based on the lack of leaks, I think the project may have been shelved. The question I ask is what, if anything, do people (and developers) want in a VR HMD that isn't already available?

I don't think an updated/upgraded Index would be a "Me Too" product. Just like how they have been upgrading the Steamdeck, they can do the same with the Index. Just because there are other products on the market doesn't mean it can't be done better, with the newer technological advancements in just the last 4 years. Improved resolution, decreased weight, improved tracking, improved controls, etc.

[entity]

Originally posted by Bob Loblaw:

The question I ask is what, if anything, do people (and developers) want in a VR HMD that isn't already available?

The issue isn't so much what's available, it's who you have to get in bed with to get it. I want a wireless PCVR / standalone device that's not from Meta and I want standalone content for this platform to be available on Steam. Standalone can be either x86 or ARM.

HTC is a decent alternative (I quite like my Focus 3 and XR Elite), but I want the software polish and support that Valve can bring.

I'm not expecting a revolution in terms of the basic HMD specs like resolution or FOV - just a decently equipped headset with Valve's full support - that's it.

[grzegorz77]

Originally posted by entity:

Originally posted by Bob Loblaw:

The question I ask is what, if anything, do people (and developers) want in a VR HMD that isn't already available?

The issue isn't so much what's available, it's who you have to get in bed with to get it. I want a wireless PCVR / standalone device that's not from Meta and I want standalone content for this platform to be available on Steam. Standalone can be either x86 or ARM.

HTC is a decent alternative (I quite like my Focus 3 and XR Elite), but I want the software polish and support that Valve can bring.

I'm not expecting a revolution in terms of the basic HMD specs like resolution or FOV - just a decently equipped headset with Valve's full support - that's it.

You have to choose, because what you want can't be combined.

If you want wifi, there is no such technology available for the consumer market. You have to compress the image on the fly, a lot of data. So there must be a relatively powerful processor in the goggles that will unpack it. So all in all, you made it a standalone device, with low processing power, low fov and low refresh rate. Looks like you've come up with a new quest.

If you want to base it on arm, you would have to write new games for it, or remake the old ones, and a small audience base, almost certainly unprofitable.

Low-voltage "x86". I'm afraid that we still have to wait a while for "cheap" low-voltage processors that can handle VR games from the Steam store (some non-AAA games).
Maybe the next steam deck, with the next generation of apu. Maybe could have a box with lenses, and slam tracking cameras. And some cheap controllers like quest.

Because that's what we need, a large volume, like a steam deck, to meet your expectations of polished software.

This is how it looks in my opinion.

An alternative is a new vr kit on a cable, without a apu and battery inside.
So all in all, a ps vr 2 from valve. Maybe with vive tracking, or some new alternative to it. Personally, I would prefer tracking with lanterns, but maybe something more like tracking in the rift cv1, so fast and precise.


To sum up, in my opinion, it is not easy at all.

Because people want something different than seems to be the most reasonable thing with today's technology.
You have to compete with ps vr2 (if it's going to be a slam).
It will be expensive compared to the competition if it is to be vive tracking
You have to compete with quest 2, quest 3 (if it's going to be standalone).

I wonder how it will end.