SteamVR now supports more (and less expensive) base stations

Valve made headlines today when Apple revealed the companies were working together to bring virtual reality and SteamVR to Mac computers, but the PC gaming company also quietly revealed some big changes to the way its VR system and devices like the HTC Vive work.

SteamVR is getting an overhaul to how it tracks headsets like the Vive in a three-dimensional space. Valve has redesigned the base stations that act like GPS satellites to use fewer parts and drops the sync-blinker component. That makes these tracking stations smaller, quieter, more power efficient, and — most importantly — less expensive. SteamVR can now also support more than two base stations to improve tracking in larger areas.