Valve Software, the creator of popular games like the “Half-Life” and “Portal” series, has announced its own virtual reality headset, according to Mashable.
Valve will formally introduce the device at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco early in March.
“Steam is bringing the best games and user-generated content to exciting new destinations. At GDC 2015, we’ll be giving demos of the refined Steam Controller, new living room devices, and a previously-unannounced SteamVR hardware system,” a web page on Valve’s Steam gaming service said.
The company is already seeking developers to try out the headset and hopefully make games for it. Valve has a sign-up form that allows developers to schedule a demo of the headset at the conference at the Moscone Center from March 4-6.
While virtual reality used to be considered a gimmick of the ‘90s, advances in technology have caused hardware and game developers to take a second look at VR. The Facebook (News - Alert)-owned Oculus Rift has generated a lot of enthusiasm for the potential to allow developers to create even more immersive games than they have in the past.
The move comes after Steam has made other announcements, including the Steam Machines, Linux-powered game consoles.
Valve’s Steam platform is to PC games as iTunes is for music: it’s the place to download legal copies of games. When VR games do become available, game developers will have a ready-made audience, much as iTunes users can buy music and movies for their Apple (News - Alert) devices.
Valve will also unveil SteamOS-powered devices at the same time. While Windows still dominates PC gaming, the company also supports Mac OS X and Linux. While there are a number of popular games available for the other platforms, including Valve’s most popular titles such as “Portal,” there are still more games available for Windows.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi
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