Production of Steam VR Base Stations Reportedly Handed Over To HTC

Brad Lynch, an XR hardware analyst, confirms that HTC will manufacture Valve’s SteamVR Base Station 2.0. HTC will now handle the production of tracking stations for VR headsets like HTC Vive Pro 2 and Valve Index. This shift, says Lynch, will allow Valve to allocate resources toward its next project.

HTC and Valve have a long-standing partnership in VR. Their collaboration resulted in the launch of the first HTC Vive in 2016. HTC was responsible for the VR headset design, while Valve supplied the Lighthouse tracking system. In 2019, Valve introduced its headset, the Valve Index, and renamed the tracking system to SteamVR Tracking.

HTC leverages its production expertise

SteamVR Tracking boasts precision in VR tracking. Its external system operates with sub-millimeter accuracy. Room-based SteamVR base stations emit laser beams that connect with photoresistors on VR headsets and controllers, enabling the tracking system to work effectively.

HTC has produced Valve’s SteamVR base station 1.0 for a while. HTC temporarily manufactured the latest generation, 2.0, to launch the HTC Vive Pro. Now, the whole production of 2.0 devices is expected to shift to Taiwan.

Lynch believes that HTC could see growth with this move as demand for SteamVR base stations continues to increase. The system is compatible with numerous PC VR headsets, including the Pimax, Valve Index, and HTC devices.

Rumor has it that #HTC will produce #SteamVR base stations 2.0 in the future. Is #Valve making room for Lighthouse 3.0? #vr #virtualreality #vrgamehttps://t.co/xQX44lygFI

— MIXED (@MIXED_en) February 6, 2023

Will Lighthouse 3.0 be released?

Lynch reports that final assembly will still occur in the USA, overseen by Valve’s recently acquired company, Applied Technical Services. This change in production could clear the path for Valve’s next project. However, Lynch stated that his research had not yielded any definitive results.

According to Lynch’s research, Valve’s plans are uncertain. Valve has explored both a potential “Lighthouse 3.0” and camera tracking, Lynch tweeted. This didn’t come as a surprise, as speculation regarding Valve’s future tracking direction has been persisting for years.

A Valve patent suggests that Lighthouse 3.0 may eliminate the need for base stations. The controllers, and headset would emit light beams, and a front camera would determine their spatial position. However, while speculation is high, Valve has not made any official announcements about its plans.

The featured image was gotten from mixed-news.com