Industry Expert Predicts 2026 Launch for New Valve XR Headset

There’s this wild thing happening with Valve—seems like they’re crafting some kind of XR headset, tagged with the super secret name ‘Deckard.’ Been in the works, apparently. Somebody on the inside got a sneak peek and said it’s “quite amazing,” whatever that means. Could be showing up next year, who knows.

So, Stan Larroque, who’s running things at this XR firm called Lynx, dropped a post on X (which is kind of like Twitter, but not?) about having seen Valve’s next headset blueprint. Just casually mentioned it like he was talking about the weather.

Get this, Larroque and his company, Lynx, aren’t under any strict hush-hush agreements. Nope, they’re playing it cool, saying Deckard’s not really stepping on their toes. Different people, places, prices. But there’s a whiff of conspiracy because they might be using the same bits and pieces from the same suppliers. Like when you and your friend accidentally show up in matching outfits.

And Larroque added this gem, saying he’d be livid if his own company secrets got out. He’s just stoked for new gear. XR world is apparently a small town—everyone knows everyone’s business.

On another note, he chatted with Road to VR, floating the idea that the big production plans are set for 2026. That’s a bit different from what some enthusiast named Gabe Follower guessed. He had Deckard hitting the shelves at the end of 2025 for a cool $1,200.

Even if Valve’s keeping mum, folks have been gossiping since a bit of code pointed to the Deckard name back in 2021. There were these leaked designs from 2022, and some sneaky 3D models appeared in a SteamVR update. Imagine a new VR controller being called ‘Roy.’ Sounds like someone’s dad, right?

Then there’s Brad Lynch—kind of a tech detective—who mentioned Valve’s gearing up for production. Spotted them importing kit for making headset face bits into the U.S. from Teleray Group, same folks who did stuff for the Valve Index and HP’s whatchamacallit.

Bottom line, when, where, and what exactly are anyone’s guess—but Valve’s stepping into the XR scene loudly. If Larroque’s hints are solid, and 2026 is the year, other players might be loading their XR arsenals too. Meta’s throwing in a couple of devices, codenamed ‘Pismo Low’ and ‘Pismo High’ in 2026. Rumors about a ‘Quest Pro 2′ tailing Apple’s Vision Pro in 2027 are floating around too.

By that time, Samsung’s Project Moohan, married with Android’s new XR system, should be buzzing with apps galore. Valve might just keep it lowkey like usual, no big fuss, just slipping in some surprise preorders on Steam. So yeah, gotta keep scanning those news waves ’til someone drops a real date.