Valve Index 2 (WiFi/Q2-style autonomy) - new patent out yesterday!

[SCG_Fenris_Wolf]

Hey guys,

 

 

as seems to be no English article yet, so I losely translated some of the context of an article released by "mixed.de". Click their link please, even if you can't read German, so they get the clicks as they deserve.

Here is the link to the patent: https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20210080996.pdf

 

Just yesterday a new patent by Valve was confirmed and released, which could show what Valve is planning next.

Two years after the release of the Valve Index, which is still one of the best VR headsets money can buy, consumer VR has developed towards autonomous VR. This is reflected in the current situation on the market: The Quest 2 is breaking records in sales (granted, due to its performance/price ratio as well). Autonomous or wireless devices are going to set the standards in VR's future.

 

The patent has been entered in September 2020, and confirmed & released yesterday, March 18th 2021. It shows a variety of headbands and ergonomical innovations. 3 different ones so far:

 

And here the most interesting part:

 

 

It shows what could be put into the headset. On the backside we're seeing a battery, and a wireless unit with antenna. The processor/memory/operating system is also in there. These could be required for signal processing, but could also indicate an autonomous headset. May it be that the entirety of these modules find place in the backside of the headstrap? 

 

The cable seen in the first picture indicates that: It seems to be a classical Valve Index with an extension. There's a small cable running to the frontal USB port.

 

The least patent of Valve, released in July 2020, mentioned a streaming module. In that patent, the whole platform remained within the lighthouse system. 

 

 

 

What does that mean? We don't know yet. 

 

What is for certain is that Valve is working on something. Working on new modular extensions for Index 1 or at a follow-up headset - the Valve Index 2.

 

 

 

P.S. Given that the insane amount of pixels the G2 requires at 100% for its distortion profile are off the charts of anything but or even for my 3090, I wouldn't be surprised if this is a modular extension that can turn the Valve Index 1 into a streaming-wireless PCVR, as the reason/possibility to feed such fillrates are still not there in the latest - just released - generation of GPUs.

 

 

 

Best regards =)

 

SCG Fenris Wolf

Simulated Combat Group

Edited March 19, 2021 by SCG_Fenris_Wolf

[SCG_Fenris_Wolf]

(German) MRTV Video on it

 

I wonder when the anglo reports are coming. Usually they are first to report on such stuff... 

Edited March 20, 2021 by SCG_Fenris_Wolf

[dburne]

I hope Valve are not going to be chasing the mobile game platform of Quest.

But if they do , maybe they would make a true hybrid mobile/PCVR headset. One that could be tethered normally into the GPU.

Not quite sure why Oculus did not choose that route, other than to keep cost down maybe for where they thought it had to be to be successful.

Edited March 20, 2021 by dburne

[chiliwili69]

That´s nice. Good to know that they are also working hard for next Index 2. They put a lot of effort on the comfort side and machanisms.

 

Ideally they could create a modular Index. Being the basic headset with cable and then a wireless module with batery/GPU/Storage (either to play PC games or mobile games).

For seated games the cable is not a major issue for me.

 

I was proposing something like that for Oculus here

[SCG_Fenris_Wolf]

This, yes. 

I'd really like a wireless solution. I'm still contemplating whether I'd want to go back to Lighthouse.

Currently I'm on WMR tracking and it just doesn't match the LH tracking I've had before.

 

An upside is that I don't need to cover all picture frames, windows and my PC glass case anymore - and that there's no ultra high frequency sound anymore like on 90's TVs. That really disturbed me all the time.