It seems Valve has been growing a standalone XR headset, codenamed ‘Deckard’, for a while. Now, an trade insider has apparently gotten a peek on the headset’s design, calling it “fairly wonderful,” additional noting it’s probably arriving someday subsequent 12 months.
Stan Larroque, Founding father of XR {hardware} firm Lynx, confirmed in a latest X put up the he’s really seen the design for Valve’s subsequent XR headset.
The design of Valve subsequent HMD is kind of wonderful!
— Stan Larroque (@stanlarroque) Could 17, 2025
Larroque additional confirmed that neither him nor his firm Lynx, which launched the Lynx R-1 blended actuality headset, is underneath any kind of non-disclosure settlement (NDA).
Larroque tells Street to VR that Valve Deckard gained’t full towards Lynx’s upcoming {hardware}, as they individually “tackle two totally different markets [and] worth factors.”
Nonetheless, beating across the bush considerably, Larroque tells us Valve and Lynx “may share suppliers for some parts,” which undoubtedly smells like a provide chain leak.
“I might be equally pissed if Lynx nextgen ID bought leaked so I gained’t share extra,” Larroque says in an X put up. “I’m simply excited for good new XR HMDs. The HMD-making world is so small, all of us share the identical suppliers for some parts.”
Moreover, he tells Street to VR that he’s heard that mass manufacturing and eventual availability is slated for 2026, which differs barely from a earlier report whereby leaker and information miner ‘Gabe Follower’ alleged Deckard would arrive by the top of 2025, priced at $1,200.
Whereas Valve hasn’t confirmed something but, the rumor mill has been drumming up its fair proportion of hypothesis even for the reason that Deckard naming scheme was found by information miners in January 2021.
There have been leaked prototype designs (seen above) from 2022, in addition to leaked 3D fashions hidden in a SteamVR replace late final 12 months (seen beneath), which appeared to point out off a brand new VR movement controller, codenamed ‘Roy’.
Then, final month, tech analyst and VR pundit Brad ‘SadlyItsBradley‘ Lynch reported Valve was gearing up manufacturing for the long-awaited machine, evidenced by Valve’s latest importation of apparatus to fabricate VR headset facial interfaces contained in the USA.
Lynch alleges the tools in query “is being supplied by Teleray Group who additionally manufactured the gaskets for the Valve Index and HP G2 Omnicept.”
Precisely what and when are nonetheless comparatively huge query marks, though it seems Valve is transferring ahead with its standalone XR headset at an opportune time. Supplied Larroque’s provide chain leaks are true, and it’s certainly coming in 2026, various earlier reviews counsel there might be some wholesome competitors on the market when it does.
In July 2024, The Info alleged Meta is planning to launch two flagship client headsets someday in 2026, codenamed ‘Pismo Low’ and ‘Pismo Excessive’. Past that, a competitor to Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, tentatively regarded as ‘Quest Professional 2’, is reported to reach in 2027. In the meantime, we’re ready for any actual shred of proof to come back from Apple of any forthcoming headset.
By then, Samsung’s Venture Moohan ought to be within the wild, which when it launched in late 2025 will run Google’s upcoming Android XR working system. The machine is slated to deliver the full-fat Android App Retailer to an XR machine for the primary time along with XR content material.
Whereas we’d count on Valve to skip the flashy keynotes and easily seed builders first with {hardware} in its common lowkey method, you by no means know when a random buy hyperlink may simply pop up on Steam, so we’ll be maintaining our eyes peeled from now till at any time when.
