Can Valve’s SteamVR 2.0 Make Virtual Reality A Mainstream Gaming Technology?

“Okay, let’s go!”

For anyone who’s played Counter-Strike, this command will bring back some fond memories. For those still playing, kudos! (listen here)

For the unfamiliar, Counter-Strike is a series of multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video games that was released in 2000. Originally a modification for Half-Life (also a series of first-person shooter games), Counter-Strike was acquired by Valve Corporation.

Talking of Valve Corporation, it is an American video game developer and publisher currently worth $10 billion, known for games such as Portal, Day of Defeat, Dota and more. In 2003, the company also released a software distribution service for gamers, known as Steam.

Over time, Steam evolved to become “the ultimate destination for playing, discussing, and creating games.” This includes being a platform that consists of a collection of over 30,000 games, a community of over 100 million users and tools and services to help game development.

It also offers a handheld gaming computer called Steam Deck and a platform that enables gamers to access and play Virtual Reality-based games using a wide range of VR headsets though SteamVR.

Now, the company has an announcement that’s targeted at the growing VR-gaming market. What’s it about? Let’s explore:
 

What Is Valve’s Latest Announcement?

 

• On Wednesday, October 25, Valve announced that it released SteamVR 2.0, with a new UI (user interface).

• The update comes a month after the company released the beta version of SteamVR 2.0.

• The update is one that’s been a long time coming, with Valve having said in 2019 that it was “hard at work” on the update.

• While it’s believed that Valve is working on a new kind of VR headset, no announcement was made regarding any hardware.

• However, as per reports, there was a new hardware device from the company that passed radio certification in South Korea last month, which was listed with wireless and LAN connectivity. Could this be the much-anticipated Valve VR headset or another device? #JustWaitAndWatch

• Additionally, it’s believed that Valve has been developing a standalone VR headset, under the codename “Deckard” (connected to Steam Deck?). If so, the device could be a competitor for Meta’s Quest VR headset.

 

What Did Valve Say About The Release?

 

• The announcement opened with, “Today we are excited to ship SteamVR 2.0 to all users!” 

• Further on, Valve said, “In this release we’re bringing all of what’s new and exciting on the Steam platform into VR. This is our first big step in a larger ongoing effort to better unify the Steam ecosystem for all users, providing a more consistent experience across devices.”

• [Contd.] “This update also allows us to add new Steam features in the future much faster and more frequently.”

 

What Else Will SteamVR 2.0 Bring To Gamers?

 

• Most of the current features of Steam and Steam Deck are now part of SteamVR.
   
• It also features an updated keyboard with support for dual-cursor typing, new languages, emojis, and themes.
   
• The new update integrates Steam Chat and Voice Chat.
   
• It also comes with an improved Store that puts new and popular VR releases front and center.
   
• The update also consists of a range of bug fixes and changes. These include general changes, dashboard changes, index controller firmware changes, Meta changes, Linux changes and driver changes (read them here).

Augmented and virtual has been a big deal, with businesses in the gaming arena investing in the technologies. In fact, it will be a major trend in 2024, as the popularity of the metaverse and immersive experiences grows.

However, staying within the bounds of the gaming industry, with Microsoft’s recent $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard King (read more), do you think Valve’s move will keep the competition alive? Do you think other video game publishers and distribution platforms need to step it up with the use of emerging technologies?

Let us know in the comments below!