Summary
- Valve may finally release the Deckard VR headset in 2025 after a long bout of rumors.
- Unlike Valve’s current Index VR headset, the Deckard is expected to be wireless, standalone, and run a VR-tailored version of the Steam Deck’s SteamOS.
- The Deckard VR headset is rumored to sport a price tag of $1,200, which will still reportedly incur a loss for Valve on every unit sold.
A new rumor suggests that Valve might be gearing up to launch its long-rumored Deckard VR headset this year at a hefty price point. The Deckard may end up being Valve’s flagship VR headset thanks to its high-end features, which could likely be the reason behind its potentially steep pricing.
After the launch of the Valve Index in 2019, the first credible hints of a new VR headset codenamed Deckard from the company appeared back in 2022. Official Valve patents showed off a wireless VR headset, widely believed to be the Deckard at the time. Later on, Valve product designer Greg Coomer also confirmed that the company was continually developing VR headsets and that it has “faith in the medium and VR games.” Since then, speculation about Valve’s Deckard VR headset has swirled, and the company could be ready to finally break its silence in 2025.
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The latest rumor surrounding the Deckard VR headset comes from notable Valve insider Gabe Follower, who recently claimed on Twitter that the device is reportedly set to debut by the end of 2025. They further alleged that Valve wants to give users “the best possible experience without cutting any costs.” A big proponent of this notion will purportedly be the Valve Deckard VR headset’s fully wireless and standalone functionality, unlike the Valve Index, which requires a PC to run. The Deckard headset will supposedly feature a VR-tailored version of the Steam Deck’s SteamOS as well, with one of its headlining features being the ability to play flat-screen Steam Deck games in VR on a virtual big screen.
Valve Deckard VR Headset Will Reportedly Cost Well North of $1,000
As for how much the Deckard VR headset will cost, the insider claimed that the “full bundle” is currently gunning for a whopping $1,200 price tag. This bundle will apparently include new VR controllers codenamed Roy, as well as “in-house games or demos” to ensure buyers have content to experience right away for their $1,200 purchase. Interestingly, Gabe Follower said that despite the steep asking price, Valve will incur a loss on every Deckard VR headset it sells. The logic does track somewhat, as $1,200 today falls short of the Valve Index’s original $999 launch price in June 2019, when adjusted for inflation.
However, pricing strategies are never set in stone until they’re revealed, so the rumored $1,200 price point for the Deckard VR headset should be taken with a grain of salt. Given the Deckard’s supposedly high-end features, though, it seems unlikely that the Valve device will land in the same ballpark as budget VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3S and the newly-discounted PlayStation VR2.
Valve
- Date Founded
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August 24, 1996
- Headquarters
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Bellevue, Washington, United States
- CEO
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Gabe Newell
- Subsidiaries
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Campo Santo