The goal is to bring recent Steam client features into SteamVR.

Valve just launched SteamVR 2.0 as an opt-in beta. Valve says that this is the "first major step toward (their) goal of bringing all of what's new on the Steam platform into VR." This is the first we've heard of SteamVR 2.0 since it was first teased back in 2020.

This means that those who opt into the beta will notice a new user interface that includes many new features. Features such as an updated keyboard with support for new languages, emoji, and themes. There is now integrated Steam Chat and Steam Voice Chat. The Store interface has been overhauled to show new and popular VR releases right up front. Plus, many of the other recently released features for Steam and the Steam Deck are also included here.

Valve continues to say that "this is just the beginning of SteamVR 2.0's journey." They say that they will have more to share with everyone in the weeks and months ahead as they collect feedback and work out issues and implement even more features.

As this is the first beta release for SteamVR 2.0, bugs and issues are to be expected. Though unspecified in their press release, I assume that all bugs encountered while testing SteamVR 2.0 should be reported to the Bug Reports section of the SteamVR discussion area on Steam.

In order to try out the SteamVR 2.0 beta for yourself, you will need to opt into both the Steam Client Beta and the SteamVR Beta. If you follow those links, opting-in to both of these betas is about as simple as selecting them from two different dropdown menus.

I have no images of the SteamVR 2.0 beta, so the image used for this news is just of someone playing The Lab from Valve.