The evidence is mounting that Valve will launch the successor to the Index VR glasses before the end of this year. But what does it need to offer to be successful?
When Valve launched Index, its first and so far only VR headset, five years ago, it was the software that caused a stir rather than the hardware: Half-Life: Alyx, the best VR shooter to date, was released at the same time.
The Index itself was a great and very comfortable headset for the time, but it couldn’t make for a VR breakthrough. Too expensive, too elaborate, wired and the controllers cost extra again – does it have to be like that, really?
What does the rumored successor to Index, codenamed Deckard, have to do differently to really challenge the top dog Meta Quest 3(s)? Let’s take a look.
What do we know about Valve Deckard so far?
There is no official information from Valve, but we still want to give you a brief update on the latest leaks and speculation. Valve Deckard could still be released by the end of 2025, according to @gabefollower at X-Twitter, who is known for his fairly reliable statements. He also mentions a price of $1,200 for a full bundle.
Several people have confirmed that Valve is aiming to release new standalone, wireless VR headset (codename Deckard) by the end of 2025. The current price for the full bundle is set to be $1200. Including some “in-house” games (or demos) that are already done. Valve want to give…
There should also be some games or demos developed at Valve. Did any of you think of Half-Life? It would be great to see Half-Life 3 in VR, but we’re not counting on Alyx 2 – but we would love to be wrong.
The controllers are also new and look more like those of the Meta Quest than the Index controllers. Full finger tracking will probably not be possible with them. Unless Valve, like Meta, works with tracking via a headset camera, which would also be useful for potential MR capabilities. With the now proven button arrangement, digital control pad and thumbsticks, a console controller can also be replaced if necessary, which is practical for flatgames (as VR users call classic monitor games) on virtual screens.
FYI: MR stands for Mixed Reality, a term recently made more familiar by Apple’s Vision Pro. Cameras in the headset provide a live view of the real environment instead of completely sealing off the user.
GabeFollower writes about SteamOS as an operating system that is said to have been made fit for VR – the Steam Deck’s Linux system has been optimized for it. According to the X-User and YouTuber SadlyItsBradley, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen3 will be used as the processor.
Deckard PoC-F used a Qualcomm SM8650 SoC for development. Also known as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 which has a GPU one generation newer than GPU In the XR2 Gen 2
It used 2.8” lpm026m648c LCD panels from JDI. 2160×2160 @ 120hz
It also had two eye tracking cameras, and 4 SLAM cameras https://t.co/kJtBqLqF2W pic. twitter.com/Lr0949JZLk
— SadlyItsDadley (@SadlyItsBradley) March 21, 2025
Link to Twitter content
Compared to the Snapdragon XR2 Gen2 of the Meta Quest 3, this would mean noticeably more CPU and GPU power as well as a GPU that is more modern by one generation.The two displays, on the other hand, seem rather weak in view of the speculated price: Two 2.8-inch LCDs with 2,160 x 2,160 pixels each at 120 Hz. Many had hoped for OLED here.
Tracking is probably realized with cameras in the VR glasses and without additional stations like Lighthouse, which greatly reduces the installation effort. Two not cheap external stations were still needed to operate the Valve Index, which enabled tracking, whereas headsets like Meta Quest rely on cameras built into the glasses.
This could be offered by Valve Deckard:
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen3
- 2x LCD with 2,160 x 2,160 pixels
- 120 Hz refresh rate
- (Wireless) connection to the gaming PC
- Demos or full games directly from Valve
- Price: $1,200
A wireless dongle may also be offered (or included instead of a PC cable connection), which can be conveniently plugged into the PC to enable a low-interference and low-latency wireless connection for streaming from the PC via SteamLink. However, it should also be possible to play flatgames on a virtual screen independently, i.e. without a connected PC.
What does Valve Deckard need to offer to compete with the Quest? Currently, hardly any VR headset has a chance of competing with the Quest 3(s): Meta has set the price very low, offers sufficiently good quality and, above all, a high-quality store. And on top of that, PCVR support, thanks in part to Valve’s own development SteamLink. For many buyers of the Quest, wireless and PC-free use is very important, along with comfort and adequate battery life. The last two points are met by Meta rather averagely, here it would be easy for Valve to score points.
The leaked drawings of Valve Deckard promise a high-quality headstrap and hopefully sufficient comfort. The first impression seems better than with the floppy strap of the Meta Quest 3(s) – the first part that most users replace.
To offer self-sufficient gaming fun, Deckard needs its own computing power and a suitable operating system. Instead of Android like the competition, Deckard seems to rely on SteamOS – bold, but feasible, especially since Linux also runs on ARM CPUs like the Snapdragon.
The range of games in the store is crucial
The store is where it gets tricky. Valve and Steam have a massive range of flat-screen games for Windows and, thanks to the Steam Deck, Linux too. However, many VR gamers are only secondarily interested in these.
Is Valve trying to make the Steam Deck approach of making native Windows games Linux-compatible using Proton and other tools in order to tap into the existing supply of SteamVR games? VR is not very forgiving of minor graphical bugs or latencies , so this would be a brave but feasible step.
But maybe the option to offer Beat Saber, which is now part of Meta’s portfolio, is a motivator – the rhythm game has long been a good benchmark for clean tracking and low latencies, for example.
Valve Deckard could fail because of the price
If you are looking for VR glasses in 2025, you can choose from a wide range of products: small and very handy models like the Bigscreen Beyond, whose second model, which has now been introduced, is even smaller, for example. The glasses from Chinese manufacturer Pimax, when it comes to a wider field of view and first-class image quality. Pico for those who are suspicious of Meta but not of TikTok. Or the top dog Meta Quest.
But when it comes to long-term fun, which is generated from the available software, the wheat is separated from the chaff. Generating buyers only from niche markets such as flight simulations is hardly likely to justify a completely new hardware development.
According to leaks and rumors, Deckard is doing very well in terms of hardware. But do features that are difficult to present in advertising, such as eye tracking, justify the high price of an estimated $1,200?
It is questionable whether such an expensive headset has a chance in the mass market. And it almost doesn’t matter what the hardware can do. Even an exclusive Half-Life 3 in VR wouldn’t change much if the rest of the software offering isn’t equally high-quality.
Above all, it will be interesting to see whether and how Valve incorporates the Steam Deck into VR. Deckard would certainly be well suited as video glasses for Steam games – but that alone won’t be enough.
