Valve is revealing the evolutionary steps its developer edition Steam VR headset the HTC Vive took before reaching GDC 2015.

As part of their Steam VR mini-museum, they’ve shown the headset that content partners demonstrating applications and software at GDC 2015 have been working with.

Valve says that the device shares the same display hardware as the dot-tracked prototype Valve went on the road with to demonstrate at various events last year. However, the dot-based tracking system here is replaced with Valve’s second generation laser tracking system and base station.

The headset is christened ‘V minus-1’ primarily because the then HTC working prototype was called the ‘V Zero’ – the minus-1 tag indicating that it was a predecessor.

Content partners announced to be working on Steam VR content who are expected to be have been working with the V minus-1 include Google, HBO, Lionsgate and VR developers such as Owlchemy Labs and Cloudhead Games – the latter two are at GDC 2015 demonstrating their latest games on the Steam VR platform using the HTC Vive.


The Road to VR team are at GDC 2015 all week and will be bringing you hands-on impressions of the new Steam VR platform and the HTC Vive soon.

 

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Based in the UK, Paul has been immersed in interactive entertainment for the best part of 27 years and has followed advances in gaming with a passionate fervour. His obsession with graphical fidelity over the years has had him branded a ‘graphics whore’ (which he views as the highest compliment) more than once and he holds a particular candle for the dream of the ultimate immersive gaming experience. Having followed and been disappointed by the original VR explosion of the 90s, he then founded RiftVR.com to follow the new and exciting prospect of the rebirth of VR in products like the Oculus Rift. Paul joined forces with Ben to help build the new Road to VR in preparation for what he sees as VR’s coming of age over the next few years.