Recommended reading

Valve Embraces OSVR, Adds OSVR Content Category And Identifying Icon To Steam

News
By published

Razer and Sensics, the co-founders of the Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR) consortium, announced that Valve added official support for OSVR hardware and software to the Steam content distribution platform. Going forward, Steam users can filter the Steam Store to show OSVR-compatible content.

“This is a great milestone for VR, giving users access to more hardware and content and driving Valve’s and OSVR’s shared vision of totally open VR content to everyone,” said Christopher Mitchell, OSVR Lead, Razer.

In addition to the filtering categories, Valve added an OSVR icon to Steam to quickly identify which games and applications adhere to OSVR’s standards. The OSVR icon appears under the game title in the Steam store, where Valve displays the Windows, Apple, SteamPlay, Oculus, and Vive icons.

The inclusion of OSVR hardware and software on Valve’s Steam store helps to legitimize OSVR’s efforts to create an open standard for all VR hardware and software developers. By embracing OSVR, Valve is providing a distribution platform for developers that create OSVR-compatible software, which could help inspire developers to embrace the standard.

"We are delighted to announce support for OSVR titles," said Valve’s Augusta Butlin. "Steam is an open platform for all developers, and adding support for OSVR further expands the massive content offerings for the millions of gamers on Steam."

The list of OSVR compatible software is short, but its only a matter of time before the library grows larger. Razer helped spearhead the OSVR Developer Fund, which has $5 million up for grabs to incentivize developers to create OSVR-compatible content. OSVR said it received hundreds of submissions for funding.

In the meantime, the OSVR Developer Fund already provided capital for 32 OSVR-compatible titles--most of which are available now on Steam.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
GameDeveloper
LimbInterdiction Studios
Abduction Prologue: The Jonathan Blake Story (Demo)Red Iron Labs
Abduction Episode 1: Her Name Was SarahRed Iron Labs
PolyRunnerLucid Sight
RC Soccer VRBeatshapers
StarDrone VRBeatshapers
Theme Park StudioPantera Game Studio
Alice VRCarbon Studios
InfiniteProject: Gateway VR Studios GmbH
The Hum: AbductionsTotwise Studios
Redout34BigThings
The Brookhaven ExperimentPhosphor Games
A-10Futuretown
Descent: UndergroundDescendent Studios
Radial-G : Racing RevolvedTammeka Games
CDF StarfighterMad About Games Studios Ltd.
Bloxiq VRBlot Interactive
BlindTiny Bull Studios/Surprise Attack Games
Chamber19Deepak M, Grant B
Leave The NestKaio Interactive
Marble MountainLightning Rock
Domain Defense: VRInclusion Studios
The AssemblynDreams
4089Phr00t’s Software
5089: The Action RPGPhr00t’s Software
Frantic FreighterPhr00t’s Software
SperminationPhr00t’s Software
MazerQuest|RevisitedRealityCheckVR Developments
Toy ColiseumReality Check VR Developments
Drift Into EternityWe Are Bots
FIVE: Champions of CanaanKingdom Games
Mervils: A VR AdventureVitruviusVR
Kevin Carbotte

 Kevin Carbotte is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware who primarily covers VR and AR hardware. He has been writing for us for more than four years. 

7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Specter0420
    OSVR's HDK2 is great, it just needs someone that can program to fix the tracking. The hardware is there to track, it has IR LEDs all the way around the back but the software only sees the ones in the front and expects 3 on each side that are not there. Basically we just need someone to fix the open source software...
    Reply
  • bit_user
    This is great, but a real commitment to OSVR would be if Vive supported it. Does it?
    Reply
  • bit_user
    If indulge my cynicism, I'd say they're trying to tie up more of the VR market before PSVR and MS can get a hold. While Vive doesn't have a low-cost option, they perhaps recognize that HDK2 has real potential and what they really care about isn't the hardware but that people get their VR content through Steam.

    Here's a pretty glowing review of it (if, like me, you've growing impatient with Tom's for one... *hint* *hint*):

    https://www.amazon.com/review/R32VP1Z15K5MBW/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01HDUVIZ0&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=541966&store=pc
    Reply
  • wifiburger
    see when half life come out and they introduced Steam everybody said ok lets wait it out and now we tons of games available, that's great,but this VR is not going nowhere, waste of time !
    Reply
  • negusp
    "Is not going nowhere"

    You're very much right. VR is making leaps and bounds when it comes to use and application.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    To answer my own question, it seems you can use a Vive with OSVR content:

    http://access.osvr.com/binary/vive

    It's not entirely clear who developed this, but profiles of the two main contributors on Github claim they're employees of Sensics.
    Reply
  • SockPuppet
    . . . making Oculus look like the selfish geebags they are.
    Reply