Tech giant and big-name game mainstay Valve is now shipping its Vive virtual reality headset to developers. According to the company's announcement, the early release of the Vive VR headset is to prioritize those who are making virtual reality projects.
The blog post reads, "This week, we have started shipping the Vive Developer Editions. This first wave includes a wide range of developers from major movie studios, triple A developers, to small indie teams working on their first title."
Shipping out the developer editions of Valve's VR device will last throughout the summer. Valve added, "We will continue to ship to additional developers through the spring and summer."
When developers get their very own Vive VR headsets, the bundle will come with the complete edition package so that developers can easily build their projects within the same systems that consumers will own. The bundle will come with a headset, two wireless Steam VR controllers, two Lighthouse base stations, cables, and instruction manuals. This package is the same as what the consumer editions will be bundled with when the Vive VR is released commercially before the year ends.
In addition, developers also need to own the Vive VR headset before being allowed to post on the Steam VR Hardware Group page, to establish base parameters for VR projects. This would also allow all developers to be on the same page when working in virtual reality.
The Vive VR headset is the result of Valve's partnership with HTC, a big name tech manufacturer also known for its smartphone line. The boom of virtual reality headsets resulted in many companies shifting their focus and adding a whole new VR lineup. Those that already delved into the VR revolution include Google with its Cardboard system and Oculus with its Rift, which is scheduled to release its consumer model early next year.
