We just had a juicy bit of information dropped on us by Valve — LG is showing a headset prototype at the company’s booth.
Very little is known about the device right now, though Valve did confirm to UploadVR that this is a SteamVR tracking headset, making it the second such device to be revealed, two years after HTC first introduced its Vive headset and nearly a year after it was released.
According to a statement from Valve, the device will offer a “high fidelity, next generation VR experience.” Though not confirmed, we assume that makes it another PC-based device rather than another mobile-based headset, which LG has dabbled with in the past. The company intends to meet with developers during the event to showcase its prototype and collect feedback. Final pricing and launch dates are not being revealed at this time.
Don’t expect this to be the last SteamVR device; last week Valve dropped requirements to attend a $3,000 class for its platform and 500 companies having signed up to work with its Lighthouse tracking technology, be they new headsets, controllers or otherwise.
SteamVR isn’t alone in licensing VR technology, however. Microsoft is also working with companies like Dell and Asus to produce its own VR headsets using inside-out tracking and running on its Windows Holographic OS.
There are still a lot of questions about this headset to be answered, then, and we’ll be sure to hunt answers down during GDC week.
Here’s the statement from Valve:
LG Electronics will unveil its first VR HMD prototype at this year’s GDC in San Francisco, CA. Being shown in Valve’s GDC booth, the LG HMD prototype is designed to deliver a high fidelity, next generation VR experience.
During the show, LG will be meeting with developers to collect feedback and impressions as part of its effort to define the first commercial units. Pricing, launch dates, and territories will be announced at a later date.
