Whereas the lately unveiled Steam Body is much from the primary VR headset Valve has labored on, the corporate has mentioned that it the brand new headset received’t be just like the Valve Index. In an interview with PCGamer, Valve engineer Jeremy Selan spoke about how the Steam Body is a completely new product, which can also be why it doesn’t share an analogous title to the Valve Index.
“This can be a new product. That’s one of many causes we modified the title from Valve index to crew Body, as a result of we’re attempting to do one thing new with this,” mentioned Selan. “We’re actually attempting to blur the strains out of your catalogue, the place you simply take into consideration, you’ve your video games, that is one other system that permits you to take pleasure in them. So I don’t wish to put too many kind of preconceived expectations on how folks will use this.”
One of many main issues that units the Steam Body other than the Valve Index is the truth that it has its personal built-in {hardware} that’s able to working video games by itself. The Index, however, was constructed to be an adjunct for people who already personal gaming PCs.
“If you concentrate on the Valve Index, superior system, I labored on it myself, as did Jeff,” he mentioned, referring to fellow Valve engineer Jeff Leinbaugh. “We’re actually pleased with it, nevertheless it all the time was kind of a companion to the PC.”
The Steam Body has additionally been designed with the thought of lowering the quantity of friction that’s usually related to VR gaming. Whereas the Index wanted gamers to exit of their approach to arrange all of the {hardware} to work with their PCs, the Steam Body can as a substitute merely be worn, which finally ends up with gamers offered with choices for the sorts of video games they wish to play.
“I feel within the Valve Index period, I might have to consider, earlier than I picked up the system, what I wished to play,” Selan defined. “Do I simply wish to take pleasure in a non-VR recreation? And I might choose up my Steam Deck or go to the PC. Or do I wish to play a VR session? After which I’d activate the bottom stations, stroll over to the room that had my Index and play that. I discover myself now with this system way more so simply throwing it on earlier than I do know what I wish to play.”
Whereas the corporate may be on the point of launch its new VR headset, it has additionally confirmed that it’s not engaged on a first-party expertise that might assist showcase the Steam Body’s capabilities. This runs counter to Valve’s behavior of usually releasing its personal video games to showcase its {hardware}, like Aperture Desk Job for the Steam Deck, and even the critically-acclaimed Half-Life: Alyx, which whereas playable on any VR headset, additionally made use of the particular options of the Valve Index’s Grip controllers.
Together with the Steam Body, Valve additionally unveiled different {hardware} – a gaming PC dubbed Steam Machine, in addition to a brand new controller, dubbed Steam Controller.
