It’s been six years since the Valve Index launched and set the standard for high-end VR gaming. New leaks have emerged recently that suggest we could see a successor, codenamed ‘Deckard’, appear at some point later this year with an even larger price tag, upgraded (in some ways) controllers and, presumably, better hardware.
The Valve Index, unlike most of its contemporaries, requires a tether to a PC before it can do anything. The still-to-be-confirmed Deckard, however, will be a wireless standalone headset, if the findings of Valve-focused data miner @gabefollower on Twitter/X are to be believed.
Someone at Valve likes Blade Runner
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… pic.twitter.com/alHzQuwNvc
— Gabe Follower (@gabefollower) February 26, 2025
A previous leak suggested the company was working on new controllers, codenamed ‘Roy’ (another Blade Runner reference), that will scrap the motion-tracking rings for a more ergonomic design. This change will bring Deckard’s controllers in line with the current industry standard, most recently seen with Meta’s Quest 3S ringless controllers.
That said, the Roy controllers won’t look too foreign, still featuring a D-pad, ABXY face buttons, joysticks, front-facing bumpers and triggers, and another side-mounted trigger. However, the lack of motion rings likely means finger tracking will be absent which is a questionable decision if true, considering the six-year-old Valve Index supports it.
The biggest remaining question mark is regarding Deckard’s internal hardware and whether the standalone form factor will limit the device’s performance. Running VR games on dual 1440p displays at 120Hz is no small feat. That probably explains why the new device could launch with a $1,200 price tag for the full bundle. Directly converted, that’s roughly R22,123 with the exchange rate at the time of writing. We expect it to be significantly higher if it ever makes it to SA.
The other, slightly smaller question, is about the device’s launch titles. Half-Life: Alyx launched shortly after the Index and served as a tech demo and sales driver. There’s a chance Valve could release a new flagship VR title alongside its Deckard headset but we’re not holding our breath.
Time to play the waiting game until Valve releases something official. Knowing Valve, that will only be when it is good and ready.
Image renders: @SadlyItsBradley and @Down_90 on Twitter/X
