Valve may be set to reveal a brand new virtual reality headset as soon as next month, with the company revealing a tantalising image that looks like some sort of headset with twin front-mounted cameras, an IPD slider, and a small logo that reads Valve Index.
The branding alone is intriguing. The first virtual reality headset Valve ever helped create was the HTC Vive. It basically created the whole thing, developing the tracking system, the software API, the motion controllers. It may be that the next headset from Valve remains a Valve headset. It would certainly be par for the hardware-course that Valve has set itself over the past few years, with the Steam Link, Steam Controller, and Steam Machines; although few of those projects have turned into major successes.
The page for the Valve Index simply states "Upgrade your Experience," May 2019, which doesn't tell us much. It could be an upgrade to the Vive, or in the same way Facebook and Oculus have focused on accessibility with their headset advancements, it could be an upgrade for standard 2D gaming that uses inside out tracking to ease adoption and setup.
The rumors surrounding this headset are intriguing, however. Some have suggested that Valve has been working on a new headset design for some time and will have up to three games to release with it. First party titles too. One of those is allegedly a Half-Life prequel, but we'll believe that when we see it.
What would you want to see on a new-gen Valve VR headset?