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[ArtHands]

Standalone seems to be the challenge word for the day looking a few comments here.

Literally in the OP and 90% of people in this thread wondering if this is wireless or standalone.

 

[SegaSnatcher]

Are dumb arguments like this still a thing?

I thought threads about VR were going to be different 10 years on.

Instead we're here again. Let's see.

"I don't like it": who gives a shit, it's not like you're forced to play.

"I want the game on a 2d screen": I also want many things, I just don't go bitching about whenever I get the chance.

"It will never reach mass adoption": no one gives a shit 2. It doesn't need to, to have great experiences people want to play.

"VR is dead": it's not. Get over it.

"VR is a fad": it's not. Get over it.

"Too expensive/normal screens look better": there's a headset at every price point. It's a peripheral, that enables you to play in a different way; and it's relatively new and expensive tech, so it's getting better.

Remember the first lcds?

Calm down there, my question wasn't rhetorical its just not something I've been following all that much.

I just barely see much coverage outside hardware rumors/announcements. I mean I'm not against niche products for a small dedicated fanbase. I still collect physical movies.

 

[lh032]

Market for 5090 fanboys

 

[CuteFaceJay]

1200 is steep. Heck I've yet to get the 1000 worth out of my index I've hardly used.

 

[Minsc]

Market for 5090 fanboys

More like budget Apple haters. Why blow $1000 on this when you can step up to a $3500 Apple Vision Pro.

5090 fanboys scoff at both, a mere $3500? Wake me up when you're over $9000.

 

[Sunkrest]

The price killed my hype. I hope this rumor is wrong. Steam Deck would not be half as popular if it was unreasonably expensive, same can be said about Meta Quest.

 

[ArtHands]

Only if standalone with SteamOS integrated

That's exactly what this is. A Quest 3 with the power of PCVR. No need for a separate PC.

 

[Gameplay Gods Bless]

Alright. Going to sell like shit at that price.

Their last headset was $1000 and it sold fine. Personally I'm hyped for a standalone VR headset that can play x86 games. I'm not sure what kind of hw this is packing but it must be powerful.

 

[Three]

Their last headset was $1000 and it sold fine. Personally I'm hyped for a standalone VR headset that can play x86 games. I'm not sure what kind of hw this is packing but it must be powerful.

Define "fine". It will likely hit the steam revenue chart but will sell less units than the PSVR2. Competing with the Quest is out of the question. Its value is kind of unbeatable at the moment.

 

[yet_another_alt]

That's exactly what this is. A Quest 3 with the power of PCVR. No need for a separate PC.

I think you're grossly overestimating how powerful this thing is going to be for $1200. PCs that price would be considered mid-level at best and I imagine the bulk of a VR headset's price comes from the VR tech itself.

 

[ArtHands]

Their last headset was $1000 and it sold fine. Personally I'm hyped for a standalone VR headset that can play x86 games. I'm not sure what kind of hw this is packing but it must be powerful.

It is going to be the most powerful standalone wireless VR headset if it can handle AAA VR games like Skyrim VR, Half-Life Alyx, Assetto Corsa, F1 2025 etc.

Imagine a PSVR2 but without needing to tether to a PS5 Pro or a PC.

I think you're grossly overestimating how powerful this thing is going to be for $1200. PCs that price would be considered mid-level at best and I imagine the bulk of a VR headset's price comes from the VR tech itself.

Mid-level PCVR is still going to be rather powerful here compared to all other standalone VR headsets.

But of course, you can go RTX5090 and a PSVR2 or Meta Quest 3, it doesn't matter much to Valve. Their aim here is really to push PCVR in a direction to those who doesn't have or want a separate PC for VR.

 

[Minsc]

I think you're grossly overestimating how powerful this thing is going to be for $1200. PCs that price would be considered mid-level at best and I imagine the bulk of a VR headset's price comes from the VR tech itself.

Quest 3S is decently powerful with great tech and 300 bucks, this is 4x the price so it's bound to be a bit better right?

Added value will definitely come that it's a standalone headset that runs Alyx, unlike the Quest which needs a PC.

And it also runs almost all your steam games on a VR movie theater screen natively, as well as a full desktop OS unlike the Quest.

And if they release a new VR game like Alyx, then there's even more value you get Alyx and the sequel or whatever

 

[moniker]

Will buy if it has decent blacks; both my Index and Quest 3 sucks in that regard.

 

[yet_another_alt]

Mid-level PCVR is still going to be rather powerful here compared to all other standalone VR headsets.

That's true but that mid-level PC is purely a mid-level PC. All the cost goes into making sure it's as powerful as it can be for that price. You don't worry about a monitor cause you probably have one lying around already. Not true for a standalone VR headset. The biggest enemy of stand alone PC headsets are the mustard race types who will demand that Valve focus on the VR tech because they already have a powerful PC and would think an investment in making it standalone is just inflating the price.

Quest 3S is decently powerful with great tech and 300 bucks, this is 4x the price so it's bound to be a bit better right?

Yeah, but we also know that Zuck is burning money to corner the market before anyone else. Gabe has nothing to gain because everyone is already on Steam anyway.

 

[longrainwater]

Honestly just want to be able to watch movies on a plane

 

[Minsc]

Honestly just want to be able to watch movies on a plane

You can do that with XR glasses for far far less space and money.

 

[Minsc]

Will buy if it has decent blacks; both my Index and Quest 3 sucks in that regard.

If it's just blacks PSVR2 has you covered for way less money. And it brings a lot to the table with running exclusive games off the PS5.

 

[FeralEcho]

Alright. Going to sell like shit at that price.

And then the games won't be there either because "there's no market for them".

It's like deciding to cut your own dick off and then wondering why women aren't into you.

VR is so poorly managed by all these companies that it'll never grow from being anything more than a fad.

 

[ArtHands]

That's true but that mid-level PC is purely a mid-level PC. All the cost goes into making sure it's as powerful as it can be for that price. You don't worry about a monitor cause you probably have one lying around already. Not true for a standalone VR headset. The biggest enemy of stand alone PC headsets are the mustard race types who will demand that Valve focus on the VR tech because they already have a powerful PC and would think an investment in making it standalone is just inflating the price.


Yeah, but we also know that Zuck is burning money to corner the market before anyone else. Gabe has nothing to gain because everyone is already on Steam anyway.

At the end of the day, it is a standalone VR that are powerful enough to play PCVR games, designed to pave the way for more PCVR standalone headsets and cover the ground which no VR headsets has covered yet. Quest 3 and PSVR2 already covered the ground for VR headsets with PC.

 

[lughnasadh123]

You're never going to make a VR headset into a mainstream device so you might as well milk the hardcore niche market as much as possible for the best experience.

 

[Wonko_C]

can people with glasses actually use these things yet?

We always could/can. (I use glasses myself). It's less comfortable than using prescription lenses for the headset itself but it's workable.

 

[Romulus]

You're never going to make a VR headset into a mainstream device so you might as well milk the hardcore niche market as much as possible for the best experience.

It already happened

Quest 2 VR headset outsells Xbox Series X/S consoles

Standalone VR headset Quest 2 from Meta (formerly Oculus under Facebook) has outsold Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S consoles, according to the latest information from the International Data Corporati...

www.thevirtualreport.biz

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Is VR really still a thing? I can't imagine growth has been that great.

Not at $1200...

 

[lughnasadh123]

It already happened

Quest 2 VR headset outsells Xbox Series X/S consoles

Standalone VR headset Quest 2 from Meta (formerly Oculus under Facebook) has outsold Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S consoles, according to the latest information from the International Data Corporati...

www.thevirtualreport.biz

I wouldn't be surprised if the Playdate outsold the Series.

 

[BlackTron]

In this economy a $1200 headset is fucked from jump street. Sure the people with money to burn with buy it but the masses will not. That price point just fucked themselves.

I don't think Gabe had his sights set on the masses at this price. More that he simply wanted to make something impressive. He would rather push VR forward than have the most unit sales. If it takes years to be affordable, it's still work done. That's how we got here to begin with from when my friend had an early VR setup with sensors around the room on stands. Someone had to make it first so it we could get the same thing in a small package later.

 

[Gamer79]

I don't think Gabe had his sights set on the masses at this price. More that he simply wanted to make something impressive. He would rather push VR forward than have the most unit sales. If it takes years to be affordable, it's still work done. That's how we got here to begin with from when my friend had an early VR setup with sensors around the room on stands. Someone had to make it first so it we could get the same thing in a small package later.

I just do not see the point. Even Apple could not get the Apple Cult behind the vision pro.

 

[Romulus]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Playdate outsold the Series.

So what's actually mainstream then, give me the number. It ended up selling 20 million in a couple years, that's more than most mainstream consoles.

 

[BlackTron]

I just do not see the point. Even Apple could not get the Apple Cult behind the vision pro.

I think Apple had loftier sales hopes for Vision Pro than Gabe has for this. Without okay sales, Apple probably felt there was little point to launching it.

But Gabe is just doing what he wants -that's the point. So I doubt he is that worried about sales. If he was, he'd have a cheaper unit.

Don't worry, it's okay for there to be some gaming kit that some people have but you can't afford.

 

[Minsc]

I just do not see the point. Even Apple could not get the Apple Cult behind the vision pro.

You don't see the point in updating the SteamVR platform - which doesn't support all sorts of modern features like HDR with a newer one that does?

Deckard likely will run on SteamOS and potentially carry its own verified badges for VR games to display which run on it well. It can add all sorts of features missing from SteamVR, which cheaper headsets can incorporate later on.

 

[lughnasadh123]

So what's actually mainstream then, give me the number. It ended up selling 20 million in a couple years, that's more than most mainstream consoles.

I'm actually not putting down the sales VR units have done, I just don't think it hit the mainstream numbers most were hoping it would. And that's fine. What those numbers are will come down to something arbitrary that we're both likely not to agree on. You can disagree on it, that's fine. I genuinely think going for a premium price tailored more for a smaller niche of hardcore enthusiasts is a smart move.

 

[Rush2112]

I’m going to laugh my ass off if this is true and the make HL3 VR only.

 

[Minsc]

I’m going to laugh my ass off if this is true and the make HL3 VR only.

Why? Do you laugh your ass off each time Asus, MSI, Dell, Razer or any of the dozen other laptop manufacturers release gaming laptops over $2500?

If HL3 launched as a VR Deckard game, anyone with a VR device could buy it for $50 or whatever they release it all and it'll probably be an easy GOTY, just like Alyx.

 

[Romulus]

I'm actually not putting down the sales VR units have done, I just don't think it hit the mainstream numbers most were hoping it would. And that's fine. What those numbers are will come down to something arbitrary that we're both likely not to agree on. You can disagree on it, that's fine. I genuinely think going for a premium price tailored more for a smaller niche of hardcore enthusiasts is a smart move.

Most were expecting VR to go mainstream in a river of "VR is dead" memes and predictions? It's literally been coined a gimmick for over 10 years, Kinect 2.0, and people complaining endlessly of projectile vomit "overrated" never ends. It just has a whole host of problems that consoles don't. Yet, its done well.

Apparently neither the enthusiast premium price units or cheaper units are a bad move. Quest 3s on Amazon outsold every game console in 2024 in three months vs an entire year of data for the consoles.

 

[Gameplay Gods Bless]

It is going to be the most powerful standalone wireless VR headset if it can handle AAA VR games like Skyrim VR, Half-Life Alyx, Assetto Corsa, F1 2025 etc.

Imagine a PSVR2 but without needing to tether to a PS5 Pro or a PC.



Mid-level PCVR is still going to be rather powerful here compared to all other standalone VR headsets.

But of course, you can go RTX5090 and a PSVR2 or Meta Quest 3, it doesn't matter much to Valve. Their aim here is really to push PCVR in a direction to those who doesn't have or want a separate PC for VR.

Yes exactly it has to be powerful to run games at VR resolutions. Way more powerful than a Steam deck, I am not sure how they're gonna pull it off with an AMD APU. There's Strix Halo which has 4060 desktop power but that's a power hungry chip can't game on a battery for long with that and has an unnecessarily massive CPU.

 

[GymWolf]

Not interested unless it's super light, super powerfull and wireless.

 

[Minsc]

Yes exactly it has to be powerful to run games at VR resolutions. Way more powerful than a Steam deck, I am not sure how they're gonna pull it off with an AMD APU. There's Strix Halo which has 4060 desktop power but that's a power hungry chip can't game on a battery for long with that and has an unnecessarily massive CPU.

Yeah, it is what makes it interesting, right?

If it's a $1200 Quest 3 spec wise only difference is that it runs Steam OS instead of Meta OS, but power and internals are the same level as Quest 3 that sounds like a hard sell.

I'm sure thousands or tens of thousands of Valve index fans would scoop it right up even so, but people more value oriented are not going to see it worth an extra $900 to get what they already have via their PC built in to the headset only much, much slower.

So it really needs to deliver something new, to be worth the premium over the current options that we have for 1/3-1/4 the price, and those current options allow flawless, native wired OLED optics, or wireless pancake lens with mixed reality for a fraction of the price Valve is asking.

 

[Romulus]

I think they've figured out their own eye tracking solution that allows them to save a ton of power and run AAA VR games.

Keep in mind steam deck could almost run Half Alyx when connected to a VR headset. 30-50fps on low.

A more powerful chip + a headset with eye tracking could do the trick.

 

[lakitu1982]

Yeah, it is what makes it interesting, right?

If it's a $1200 Quest 3 spec wise only difference is that it runs Steam OS instead of Meta OS, but power and internals are the same level as Quest 3 that sounds like a hard sell.

I'm sure thousands or tens of thousands of Valve index fans would scoop it right up even so, but people more value oriented are not going to see it worth an extra $900 to get what they already have via their PC built in to the headset only much, much slower.

So it really needs to deliver something new, to be worth the premium over the current options that we have for 1/3-1/4 the price, and those current options allow flawless, native wired OLED optics, or wireless pancake lens with mixed reality for a fraction of the price Valve is asking.

I would be very surprised if it was not significantly more powerful than the Quest 3

 

[thuGG_pl]

I just hope they release a version of it without any compute built in.

 

[Minsc]

I would be very surprised if it was not significantly more powerful than the Quest 3

Yes, me too. I mean Quest 4 is likely to release not too long after (I imagine late 26 or 27), so at a minimum I hope it is equal to or better than that! Plus all the other differences mentioned many times in its favor, but still, Quest 4 unless things change will still be under 1/2 the price, and likely packing some amazing hardware for $500 or so.

 

[sncvsrtoip]

I would assume specs are top notch and its more rival to Meganex Superlight 8K (1900$) not quest3 or psvr2

 

[Danknugz]

Too expensive for mass market adoption.

that's what quest is for, this doesn't seem focused at that

 

[Danknugz]

1200 is steep. Heck I've yet to get the 1000 worth out of my index I've hardly used.

mines literally still in an unopened box since 2021 cause i was too lazy to unpack and setup and continued to use my oculus cv1. i also have two extra base stations

 

[Boneless]

If it comes with HL3, I am in.

+1

 

[Dusktildawn48]

Better have OLEDs.

 

[lakitu1982]

mines literally still in an unopened box since 2021 cause i was too lazy to unpack and setup and continued to use my oculus cv1. i also have two extra base stations

why did you buy it. I think you need to have a think mate.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Better have OLEDs.

Eeewww no. Can’t use pancake lenses with that, too dim

MicroOLED is the one rumoured and Valve has patent on it.

Not the same

 

[Dusktildawn48]

Eeewww no. Can’t use pancake lenses with that, too dim

MicroOLED is the one rumoured and Valve has patent on it.

Not the same

Whatever, as long as the blacks are better than the index.

 

[Tams]

If it's $1200 with the Steamdeck 2 mini-PC streaming puck, it suggests the headset itself is probably going to be another shitty medicore LCD like Quest 3 which would be hugely and massively disappointing. We really really need a mainstream MicroOLED headset from a major company, I'm not buying from the Chinese con artist companies (Pimax) or half assed experimental products that are likely to close up shop tomorrow (Bigscreen, Megane).

Well, Android XR is coming and Horizon OS is being used by some third parties in upcoming products.

Samsung definitely have an Android VR device coming, and they know how to use OLEDs.

 

[Romulus]

I'm I reading the last bit correctly? Does that sort of sound like UEVR injector in a way in that we can play flatscreen games in VR?