Valve Developing Essential XR Components, Indicating ‘Deckard’ Standalone is Progressing Towards Production

Valve’s standalone XR headset, internally known as ‘Deckard,’ has been a hot topic since it was first whispered about in 2021. Now, tech analyst and VR insider Brad Lynch, or ‘SadlyItsBradley’ as he’s known, has released information indicating that Valve might be gearing up to produce this highly-anticipated device.

Deckard remains somewhat of an enigma, but the buzz suggests it will be a standalone VR headset that can also stream PC VR games wirelessly. This could set it up as a formidable competitor to devices like the Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro.

Lynch, who frequently drops XR industry secrets, reported that Valve has started importing equipment for producing VR headset facial interfaces in the U.S. “The equipment is coming from Teleray Group, which also made gaskets for both the Valve Index and HP G2 Omnicept,” Lynch noted in a post on platform X.

Given that the Valve Index is about six years old now, it’s unlikely they’re working on new facial interfaces for it. This leaves Deckard as the more probable focus for Valve’s latest efforts in the XR market.

It’s not entirely clear whether Valve’s decision to manufacture certain components domestically is an attempt to dodge the increased tariffs on Chinese imports put into place by President Trump.

Lynch further revealed that Valve is using the same U.S. facility previously allocated for making their Lighthouse 2.0 base stations, which they cleared out two years ago. This move raises interesting possibilities.

“Perhaps they are utilizing that space to manufacture new components over the lifespan of Deckard to avoid tariff challenges, or maybe they’re prototyping future headset gasket designs on-site,” speculated Lynch. “However, I find this unlikely since they likely already have small-scale R&D equipment at hand.”

With rumors swirling around Deckard for four years now, there have been plenty of reports and leaks, but the most recent ones suggest Valve might actually be moving toward production—a step closer to finally unveiling the device.

Last November, some sneaky data miners found 3D models buried in a SteamVR update. These seemed to show a new VR motion controller, codenamed ‘Roy,’ featuring a more gamepad-style layout than the usual touch controls. If this design makes it to the final Deckard, it might offer an input experience akin to the Steam Deck.

Early this year, in February, the notorious leaker known as ‘Gabe Follower’ suggested Deckard might hit the market by the end of 2025 with a hefty price tag of around $1,200. Gabe Follower claimed this price means Deckard will be sold at a loss and noted that the headset might run on a customized version of SteamOS, seen previously with the Steam Deck, but optimized for VR.