Chinese language WeChat user \u2018BlackHairSheriff008\u2019 says in a now-deleted WeChat post<\/a>\u00a0that the device is targeting launching in Q4 2025 to capitalize on the Holiday shopping season.<\/p>\n From BlackHairSheriff\u2019s article, it\u2019s not clear precisely what sort of VR headset Valve is supposedly manufacturing right now, at least according to the XR Research Institute leak. The poster suggests Valve may name the device \u201cIndex 2\u201d.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, the now-deleted article stated that Valve was manufacturing the device in Shandong, China, however the post was taken down following the revelation it may actually be a Taiwan-based company.<\/p>\n There is mounting evidence<\/a> however that Valve is indeed producing a VR headset of some sort. Referred to as \u2018Deckard\u2019 or \u2018Steam Frame\u2019, rumors suggest Valve is creating a standalone headset that can also wirelessly stream PC VR games.<\/p>\n Additionally, XR data analyst Brad Lynch (aka \u2018SadlyItsBradley<\/a>\u2018) now suggests Valve may offer two models, or possible variants, as evidenced by the recent inclusion of \u2018DV1\u2019 and \u2018DV2\u2019 in code found within the most recent SteamVR beta.<\/p>\n Deckard DV1 and DV2 models appeared in tonight\u2019s SteamVR beta<\/p>\n For Valve hardware: DV units are the final stages before the model (PV) that consumers will buy pic.twitter.com\/xO4PJop1Wq<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SadlyItsDadley (@SadlyItsBradley) October 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n My Take<\/p>\n I find it pretty unlikely Valve would ever invest the time to release a purely PC VR follow-up to the 2019 Valve Index, which relies on SteamVR base stations and obligatory PC tether. Even in 2025, it\u2019s a great headset, but increasingly bulky in comparison to its more recent thin and light competitors, like Bigscreen Beyond 2<\/a> and the soon-to-launch Pimax Dream Air<\/a>.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s suppose Valve slims down Index, removes the need for both base stations and tether, and replaces them with inside-out tracking and a neat wireless dongle for low-latency PC-to-VR streaming. Even with the supposed inclusion of eye-tracking, it doesn\u2019t feel like that hypothetical \u2018next-gen\u2019 goes far enough.\u00a0Valve is usually focused on moving the needle,\u00a0and that alone doesn\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n To me, Valve is looking to move the needle by offering (for the lack of a better term) a Steam Deck for your face<\/strong>.<\/p>\n While I\u2019m not suggesting Deckard will indeed be capable of natively driving all\u00a0PC VR games, it may be enough for many prosumers to have a device capable of downloading flatscreen games on-device and playing on a giant personal theater screen. We\u2019ve seen leaks of Valve controllers<\/a>\u00a0late last year, codenamed \u2018Roy\u2019, that seem to include a gamepad-style button layout, which would make it easier for users to play flatscreen games.<\/p>\n Grain of salt here: it could also stream PC games wirelessly at \u2018perfect\u2019 quality and latency, and play some PC VR games natively too\u2014maybe even an optimized version of Half-Life: Alyx (2020). According to a rumor by \u2018Gabe Follower\u2019<\/a> from earlier this year, Valve is also reportedly preparing \u201cgames or demos\u201d that work natively for the device.<\/p>\n Whatever the case, all signs point to Valve unveiling something soon, so we\u2019re hoping to learn more in the next few months.<\/p>\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/valve-headset-patent.jpg\")
<\/a>Valve XR Headset Patent from 2022 | Image courtesy Brad Lynch<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/half-life-alyx-concept.jpg\")
<\/a>Half-Life: Alyx (2020) | Image courtesy Valve<\/p>\n