Insider Predicts 2026 Launch for Valve’s New XR Headset

Sure thing. Here goes nothing!

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So, I stumbled on this juicy tidbit about Valve cookin’ up a new standalone XR headset. They’ve given it this catchy codename, ‘Deckard’. Sounds like a spy movie or something, right? Anyway, some industry bigwig got a peek at it and went, “Whoa, that’s amazing!” Apparently, it might drop next year, but who really knows with these things?

Stan Larroque, who’s the brain behind Lynx (ring a bell? They make XR stuff too), dropped this bombshell on what’s now called X (good ol’ Twitter). He’s seen Deckard’s design — says it’s something special. And, get this, he’s not sworn to secrecy. No NDA, nada. That’s rare, isn’t it?

Stan reckons Valve isn’t stepping on Lynx’s toes. Different strokes for different folks — or price tags, I guess. But wait, there’s a hint of the juicy—Stan let slip they might be sharing suppliers. Sounds like a classic case of “Oops, did I just say that?”

He’s like, “I’d be ticked if someone leaked our stuff, so yeah, lips zipped.” These folks making XR headsets seem like a tight-knit group. All getting their little parts from the same candy shop.

And, just for kicks, there’s this old patent from 2022 floatin’ around. Some folks are saying Valve’s headset might be available by 2026. Others are like, “Nah, end of 2025. $1,200.” Either way, my wallet’s screaming, “Ouch!”

The rumor mill’s been wild ever since some data wizzes found the Deckard name in SteamVR back in 2021. Prototype leaks? Oh yeah, we got those. And last year, there was this new VR motion controller, ‘Roy’. Yeah, they codenamed it that. Didn’t see that one coming.

Brad Lynch, our tech sleuth, says Valve’s got machines ready to whip up VR headset interfaces. Made in the USA, baby! Some gear’s from Teleray Group — they did stuff for the Valve Index. Brad’s got his ear to the ground, that’s for sure.

Who’s duking it out in the XR arena? Meta’s rampin’ up with two headsets by 2026, called ‘Pismo Low’ and ‘Pismo High’. Apple’s in there too, with this ‘Quest Pro 2’ buzz for 2027. But hey, Apple, how ‘bout a hint or two, eh?

Don’t forget Samsung’s Project Moohan, bound to go wild with Google’s Android XR. By the end of 2025, we might just have something cool in our hands.

And if you think Valve’s gonna do a big song and dance for the release, you don’t know them. Watch out for that sneaky “Buy Now” button on Steam. Stay alert, my friends!

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How’s that for a chaos-filled ramble?