Search

SteamVR 2.0 Launched With New Store UI, Dual-Cursor Typing, More

The update finally launches after spending a month in beta testing.

Advertisement
Highlights
  • The new UI matches the Big Picture mode on the desktop app, Steam Deck
  • VR keyboards can be customised using themes; emojis are usable now
  • It’s unclear if Valve is planning a new VR headset to go with SteamVR 2.0
SteamVR 2.0 Launched With New Store UI, Dual-Cursor Typing, More

SteamVR 2.0 adds battery and charging indicators for each controller

Photo Credit: Valve

Valve has launched its much-awaited SteamVR 2.0 update, following a one-month beta testing period in September. While it's unclear whether the company is laying the groundwork for a new virtual reality headset, the update brings a complete overhaul to the user interface, in a way that matches the current Steam Big Picture mode. The store prioritises new and major VR releases at the top, in addition to making it easy to navigate through a consistent experience across the desktop app, the Steam Deck, and other devices. The update was originally supposed to drop in 2020.

Maintaining a similar feel to the Steam Deck's interface, all the notifications, chat messages, and even in-game screenshots are now accessible directly while wearing the VR headset. The keyboard has been updated as well to allow for typing in new languages and using emojis — the experience can be further personalised via downloadable themes. Dual-cursor typing should allow for quick problem-solving, and the dashboard comes with battery indicators and charging status for each controller, akin to wireless earbuds. “This is our first big step in a larger ongoing effort to better unify the Steam ecosystem for all users, providing a more consistent experience across devices,” the blog post reads, indicating that the interface will be constantly updated and kept bug-free.

SteamVR 2.0's release has led to speculations that Valve is planning to launch a new VR device soon. Reports from last month suggested that the company registered a mystery hardware in South Korea — a wireless device, which is presumably a successor to the wired Valve Index, which was released in 2019, before Half-Life: Alyx was launched. A de-facto Steam Deck 2 is out of the question, given its designer Lawrence Yang's claims that a new one with a ‘significant bump in horsepower' won't be launched within the next few years. A standalone VR device codenamed ‘Deckard' is also allegedly in the works, which is poised to be a competitor to the upcoming Meta Quest VR headsets.

The SteamVR 2.0 update is completely free and can be accessed by clicking Steam, followed by the ‘Check For Client Updates' option. It's not very frequent for someone to fire up their VR headset to play games — not a go-to option — so there's a good chance yours might be out of date. Elsewhere, Steam has revealed its biggest releases from September, which include the rebranded EA Sports FC 24, the expansive space RPG Starfield, the gloomy Pinocchio souls-like Lies of P, and more. The platform also has a Halloween Sale coming up later tonight, October 26 at 10:30pm IST/ 10am PT in the US, bringing heavy discounts on select scary games. Indeed, if you're ever worried about finding a better price on a major sale, like the upcoming Autumn Sale, you can always check the price history on Steam Database.


What are the most exciting titles that gamers can look forward to in 2023? We discuss some of our favourites on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

 
Show Full Article
Please wait...
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Motorola Edge 60 Pro First Impressions
  2. Motorola Edge 60 Pro India Launch Date Confirmed After Global Debut
  3. Motorola Edge 60 Series With 50-Megapixel Triple Cameras Debuts
  4. OTT Releases this Week: Jewel Thief, MAD Square, Havoc, and More
  5. Vivo X200 FE Tipped to Launch in India as Rebranded Version of This Model
  6. Realme 14T 5G With MediaTek Dimensity 6300 Chip Debuts in India: See Price
  7. Amazon Great Summer Sale Date Announced: Discounts, Bank Offers Teased
  8. Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Could Be Launched on This Date
  9. iPhone 17 Pro Hands-on Image Points to Redesigned Rear Camera Module
  10. iPhone 17 Air With Ultra-Slim Design Spotted via These Leaked Dummy Units
  1. Scientists Reportedly Found a Potential Sign of Life on a Distant Planet: What You Need to Know
  2. NASA’s Oldest Active Astronaut Lands with his Crewmates on 70th Birthday
  3. Sony Xperia 1 VII Design, Colourways Reportedly Spotted via Live Images on Taiwan's NCC Website
  4. Vivo X200 FE to Launch in India Soon With Purported Dimensity 9400e Chip, 6.31-inch OLED Display: Report
  5. Motorola Adds New Features to Moto AI; Teams Up With Google, Microsoft and Perplexity
  6. Grand Theft Auto 5, Batman: Arkham Knight and More Are Leaving PS Plus Game Catalog Soon
  7. FIU-IND Reportedly Sets June 30 Deadline for Crypto Exchanges to Redo KYC Verification
  8. US Bank Regulators Pull Back Guardrails on Bank Crypto Activities
  9. Airtel International Roaming Plan With Access to Data in India and 189 Countries Launched
  10. Apple Aims to Build Most iPhones for US in India by End of 2026
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
App Store App Store
Available in Hindi
App Store
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »