LG is making a SteamVR headset that will compete with the HTC Vive

Valve has announced that South Korean electronics corporation LG will be producing a new VR headset for the SteamVR tracking system. A prototype of the head-mounted display will be shown at GDC this week, where LG will take feedback from developers before it settles on the design of commercial units.

"The LG HMD prototype is designed to deliver a high fidelity, next generation VR experience," reads Valve's press release.

Back when the HTC Vive was announced, I thought it was a little curious that the software and tracking technology were called SteamVR but the headset itself was branded HTC. But Valve's intentions soon became clear: to build tracking technology that other hardware companies can take advantage of, not to sell a single package like the Oculus Rift.

Pricing and other details will be announced at "a later date." Given that the headset is still in the prototype stage, I imagine that could be a year or more off. Still, it's exciting that an HTC Vive and Oculus Rift competitor is emerging so soon, and we'll have people at Valve's GDC booth this week to find out more about it.

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.