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Valve is reportedly working on a standalone VR headset
Brad Lynch, a YouTube host, has found evidence from patent applications and other sources that Valve is currently working on a standalone VR headset.
'AGOS: A Game of Space' is Ubisoft's interstellar VR adventure
Think: SpaceX Crew Dragon simulator but in VR and with a sweeping orchestral score for accompaniment.
HP's Reverb G2 VR headset delivers Valve Index features at $599
HP's latest VR headset, the Reverb G2, includes features designed by Valve and a reasonable $599 price tag.
Valve will no longer support SteamVR on macOS
Valve has cancelled support for SteamVR on macOS. Apple may eventually create its own AR/VR headset, though.
'Half-Life: Alyx' is the flagship VR game we've been waiting for
Half-Life: Alyx is a Half-Life game through and through. While it might not be the long-awaited "Episode 3," it's not just a trifling VR side-story either. It carries on Half-Life's tradition of pushing PC gaming forward -- this time, by focusing entirely on virtual reality and all of the narrative and gameplay opportunities it provides. And it effectively revives the series after an excruciating 13-year hiatus. In many ways, Half-Life: Alyx is the flagship single-player experience that the VR industry needs right now.
'Half-Life: Alyx' is proof Valve answers to no one
Valve is like an eccentric billionaire uncle who isn't allowed to babysit any kids in the family. He lives alone in a mountaintop mansion stocked with exotic animals, vintage pinball machines, water slides and homemade potato guns, and strange sounds flow into the valley below at all hours of the night. He disappears for months at a time and returns with suitcases full of loose candy and unmarked pills. It's not that this uncle has ever hurt anyone or done anything illegal -- it's simply clear that really, he could do anything. Valve can do anything. It's unknown just how much money the studio pulls in each year, since it's a private entity and doesn't have to publicly disclose its finances, but estimates of its annual revenue begin at $4 billion. Valve founder Gabe Newell is personally worth $3.5 billion, according to Forbes. The company's main money fountain is Steam, which has been the top PC-gaming platform for more than a decade, with 1 billion registered accounts and an average of 90 million monthly active users.
Every HTC Vive Cosmos Elite will come with a copy of 'Half-Life: Alyx'
If you're waiting to take delivery of the new VIVE Cosmos Elite which ships today, you're in for a heck of a surprise. HTC has announced that the new headset will come with a free copy of Valve's hotly-anticipated VR exclusive Half-Life: Alyx. You'll receive a redemption code in-box that will unlock the game when it launches on March 23rd.
'Half Life: Alyx' will hit Steam on March 23rd
Unlike many other publishers who've delayed big games in recent months, it appears as though Valve is actually sticking to the March release window it set for Half Life: Alyx. Even better, the VR prequel to Half-Life 2 now has an actual release date: March 23rd.
Valve's Index headset is sold out and VR 'Half-Life' isn't even here yet
Valve's Index VR headset is sold out in most regions where it's officially available, and just a few months before Half-Life: Alyx comes out. According to RoadtoVR, which checked its availability across 31 countries, you can only get a unit in Japan at the moment. Even then, you can only buy the headset or the headset with controllers bundle: the full kit with base stations is also sold out in the Asian country. On the headset's official page, the developer notes that it's "busy catching up with the demand" for the device.
Is the Valve Index the best high-end VR headset?
As VR becomes more and more mainstream, a key to its success will be the choice of headsets available. On the entry-level end is the Oculus Go, at $199. On the upper end is Valve's Index, which features two RGB LCDs running at 1,440 x 1,600 pixels, capable of a 120Hz (or 144Hz) refresh rate and selling for a stunning $999. Senior editor Devindra Hardawar reviewed the Index and found that it had nearly every feature one would expect to find on a high-end VR headset, including finger-sensing controllers, excellent image quality and plush cushioning around the eye pieces and rear head strap.
Valve has made me believe in Half-Life again
Just over two years ago, I left Valve's Half-Life franchise for dead. It had been ten years since Half-Life 2: Episode Two left fans with a massive cliffhanger that it seemed would never be resolved. But three days ago, Valve revealed that the story wasn't over, not quite: Half-Life: Alyx would be a full-fledged new entry into the series, built from the ground up for VR. Perhaps even more surprising was yesterday's reveal that the game is basically done and set to arrive in March of 2020.
Valve's VR headphones started life as two speakers taped to a skate helmet
As Valve is continues its forays into VR hardware, the company has shared some insights into the development process for the headphones included in its Index VR kit.
Valve Index review: Next-level VR
Where does virtual reality go next? Right now there seem to be two paths: portable and self-contained headsets like the Oculus Quest or those connected to computers and consoles like the Rift and PlayStation VR. Valve is clearly betting on the second way with the Index, its first VR hardware. It crams in just about every feature you'd expect from a high-end headset, including some truly transformative finger-sensing controllers. It's too bad the entire Index package costs $999, putting it out of reach for most people. But maybe that's the point. It's a boundary-pushing headset meant to keep the VR industry from getting stale.
Valve Index hands-on: Impressive, expensive, inconvenient VR
The Oculus Quest instantly makes every desktop VR headset seem antiquated. Instead of being attached to a computer, you're completely free to hop into virtual reality wherever you are. But the move towards simpler, more convenient VR also comes with plenty of drawbacks. With the Index SteamVR headset ($1,000 for the complete package), Valve aims to prove that there's still plenty of room for tethered high-end VR today. And after spending a week with it, I'm inclined to believe them.
Recommended Reading: Blame the apps for iPhone privacy woes
iPhone privacy is broken... and apps are to blame Joanna Stern, The Wall Street Journal Thanks in part to Facebook's privacy blunders, concern over personal data security is growing. And we continue to find things gobbling up our info that we didn't know were doing so. The Wall Street Journal tested 80 iOS apps and discovered that a lot of them are tracking users in ways we aren't aware of. It's a topic that could be a focus during Monday's WWDC keynote.
Valve's Index VR kit goes on sale tomorrow for $999
Valve fans rejoice! The company today unveiled its Index VR kit, which consists of a $500 headset, $279 controllers and two $149 base stations. You can get the entire kit for $1,000 or the headset and controllers for $749, or buy everything individually if you prefer. Pre-orders begin tomorrow.
Valve's 'Index' VR headset is coming in May
While Valve worked closely for years with HTC on Vive VR hardware, it's about to introduce a virtual reality headset of its own. A teaser page on the Steam website shows off this image of the Index, with the tagline "Upgrade your experience" and a May 2019 date. This occurs despite layoffs of some employees on its hardware team, which Valve said would not mean major changes to its plans. The development of Steam VR gives some ideas of what Valve would like to do, but there are no details or specs on the Index itself. Hints of the device have appeared with trademark filings and even a logo, but we don't even know if it will use the "Knuckles" finger tracking controllers we've seen from Valve a few times over the years. Whatever it is, we'll know more about how it competes with Oculus, HTC and the rest very soon.
