Rumours about Valve replacing its Index virtual reality (VR) headset with a newer model have been rumbling for years. As it stands, there has been plenty of evidence that the company has been working towards delivering Deckard, which remains the headset's codename for the time being.
Following the Blade Runner theme, Bradley Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) and others have found new references to 'Roy', a codename for what could be Deckard's controllers. For context, a patent from two years ago implied that Valve was developing controllers with motion-tracking rings.
To that end, data miners have determined that these controllers existed in SteamVR code. However, Lynch's new discovery suggests that Valve has since moved onto ringless tracking, which Meta now offers even with the budget Quest 3S (curr. $299 on Amazon). According to the XR enthusiast, recent SteamVR changes added models for updated Roy controllers, evidence of which we have embedded above and below.
Based on these images, Deckard's Roy controllers feature a large d-pad, ABXY buttons and a pair of Steam shortcuts. Moreover, the controllers contain relatively large joysticks, as well as oversized triggers and side-mounted triggers. Incidentally, a new image of what could well be the long-awaited Steam Controller 2 has turned up online too.
Roy model seems very Steam Deck proportioned afaict, very nice pic.twitter.com/o6yCrYjdl7
— Shiny Quagsire (@ShinyQuagsire) November 27, 2024