Valve Releases Hand-tracking Passthrough for Steam Link, Making Quest an Even Better PC VR Headset

Valve officially released a feature to the SteamVR stable branch that adds basic hand-tracking to Steam Link for Quest users.

Previously only available in the Beta test branch released back in August, the new SteamVR 2.8 update doesn’t actually bring full hand-tracking support to SteamVR’s UI, but rather allows Quest users to DIY their setup for each game by experimenting with input bindings.

To enable hand-tracking through Steam Link, make sure both SteamVR and the Steam Link app for Quest is updated and head into the Binding UI in SteamVR’s Controller Settings to toggle on hand-tracking. From there, simply tap your controllers together and you’ll be able to start experimenting.

Valve says in the SteamVR 2.8 release notes (seen below) that the update also comes along with a number of bug fixes and quality of life improvements across SteamVR, Valve’s OpenXR API, and Steam Link for Quest, such as improvements to overall 2D and 3D streaming stability via Steam Link.

“We continue to focus on OpenXR as our preferred API for new games and applications,” Valve says. “SteamVR’s official OpenXR subforum is here and we’d love to hear your feedback, as well as suggestions for new features.”

Valve hasn’t said as much, however Steam Link probably won’t service just Quest. While Steam’s latest hardware survey indicates that over half of connected VR headsets are some flavor of Quest, its continued work on Steam Link may be a key to the rollout of its own rumored standalone headset, codenamed ‘Deckard’, which has been a hot topic of conversation since 2021 following a series of code leaks.

Continued references to Deckard in SteamVR and various patent filings have fueled further speculation that Valve is indeed exploring a standalone headset to compete with devices like Meta’s Quest lineup, which would make Steam Link an important utility.

Check out the full SteamVR 2.8 release notes below:

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Jesus this article is such a valve worshipping.

you didn't even mention once that virtual desktop had this feature for ages. You even credit valve for making quest an even better pcvr headset. And then you're still jerking off at the thought of deckard when time has proven again and again that valve doesn't care about vr, never did and never will. This barbones effort at updating outdated steamvr is done by a single guy sitting in valve basement. They still haven't changed room calibration for guardian since 2016. Pcvr remains an ancient experience.

Jesus, your answer is such a hater reaction.

Not every argument has to be a retrospective of all that is good or bad about the company, and a comparison with every alternatives.There's nothing emphatic overly praising Valve. Even the mention of deckhard is factual.

You got to chill out dude.

There is nothing factual about imaginary "Deckard".Even the original source for these years-long hysteria, a YouTuber & Tech Analyst SadlyItsBradley, has been quiet about it for ages, coming to realization that Valve isn't pursuing VR after all, and his own needs has been nearly fully satisfied with AVP.

What is factual, is 2017 Gayben claim that "wireless is a solved problem", and it took another 6+ years to see fruits of that, and it all came down in form of a Quest app. What is factual is that Valve even shilled Nofio on their store page, which as many of you might be unaware, it turned out to be complete shit, despite bieng shilled by Bradley as well.