Valve launches the first beta version of SteamVR 2.0
Valve’s investment in the realm of virtual reality has been far from trivial. Even though their ventures in recent years might not have stirred grand waves, it would be a misconstrual to deem them idle. Just yesterday, they formally released the inaugural Beta version of SteamVR 2.0, accompanied by its update details.
In its monumental iteration, SteamVR 2.0 has ushered in substantial enhancements. Predominantly, its user interface has undergone a thorough rejuvenation, resonating with a contemporary design ethos. Valve articulates that the interface of SteamVR 2.0 now imbibes most of the salient features prevalent in the Steam client and Steam Deck. The virtual keyboard within SteamVR 2.0 has broadened its linguistic support, now also catering to a plethora of emojis and themes. Additionally, it has seamlessly integrated social dimensions such as Steam Chat and Voice Chat. The store’s facade has also been revamped.
For enthusiasts eager to delve into the SteamVR experience, they must initially enlist in the Beta testing of the Steam client, and subsequently, within the properties page of SteamVR, opt into the Beta testing of SteamVR 2.0.
The current release of SteamVR 2.0 marks merely the nascent phase of an ambitious roadmap for SteamVR. Valve envisages collating feedback from its gaming fraternity in the ensuing timespan and fostering the further evolution of the aforementioned new functionalities. Furthermore, developers are anticipated to disseminate more insights about SteamVR in future communiqués. However, Valve has refrained from pinpointing the definitive release date for the full-fledged version of SteamVR 2.0.
Worth a tangential mention, there’s been a considerable lapse since Valve last unveiled an update to their VR hardware. The Valve Index is now an artifact of 2019. One is left to ponder whether this significant revamp of SteamVR might be intertwined with rumors surrounding Valve’s new headset, cryptically codenamed “Deckard”.
