Valve, HTC have a new VR headset coming out this year

Yet another company has thrown its hat into VR ring -- but the latest contender has the support of a video game juggernaut.

Reports (including one from Engadget) out of this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona say Valve Software is teaming up with mobile phone maker HTC for the “Vive,” a high-end VR headset branded under the HTC label and due for commercial release this year.

The developer version of the Vive is slated to release in spring this year.

Although you might assume that the Vive is smartphone-based like VR contender Samsung’s offering, users will reportedly plug the headset into a computer. There’s no word yet on control mechanisms.

HTC doesn’t just have games in mind either. Aside from game studios including (but not limited to) Owlchemy and Vertigo, Vive partners also include Lionsgate and HBO.

Valve is also headed to this week’s (Gamasutra-affiliated) Game Developers Conference, with new hardware.