Valve has officially dropped its in-person training requirements for SteamVR tracking certification, making it easier than ever for peripheral manufacturers to produce virtual reality accessories that use Valve’s proprietary Lighthouse tracking technology.
The company previously required hardware manufacturers to complete an in-person training course held infrequently in Seattle, and many developers faced difficulty in budgeting the program’s required $3,000 entry fee. Valve’s relaxed requirements now waive an entry fee entirely, and developers must simply complete an online training course instead.
Shortly after launching its Lighthouse tracking tech, Valve revealed that hardware developers would be able to integrate the tech in their own peripherals after completing a required training course. VR accessories that use Lighthouse tracking are able to interface with the HTC Vive virtual reality headset, and the technology ensures accuracy regarding the positioning and movement of motion-tracking controllers during VR gameplay and simulations.
More than 300 creators and companies completed Valve’s training program and earned SteamVR tracking certification since last year, but cost and travel requirements put many interested developers in a bind. In order for a company to be eligible for certification, a representative mechanical engineer, industrial designer, or electrical engineer needed to travel to Seattle in order to complete Valve’s in-person training program, adding a steep barrier to entry for companies located overseas.
As part of its overhauled training program, Valve now requires companies to complete an online certification course at their convenience. Valve currently offers online certification courses in English and Chinese, and in-person training is still available as an option via Synapse’s ongoing certification sessions in Seattle.
Valve previously announced plans to sell SteamVR base stations to licensed developers starting later this year. A consumer model has not yet been revealed.
Did you think hitting delete on your AI chatbot conversation actually makes it disappear? Georgia Tech researchers just proved that's not entirely true. They have built a forensic tool called ORISA that can dig deleted conversations from your phone and even rebuild them into a working chatbot session you can keep talking to.
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Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
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