Virtual reality development is limited to certain niche companies only, but that is about to change now. After partnering more than dozen of players to build future Steam Machine, Valve is reportedly about to release a standard interface for virtual reality controllers next week.

The BBC reported that Valve will release a software development kit that gives developers a standard way to implement controls in VR games. Valve designer Brian Coomer has apparently said that the kit is “days away” and will be released at Steam Dev Days, which start on January 15th. According to Coomer, it will show “what affordable Virtual Reality hardware will be capable of within a couple of years.”

Steam Dev Days will take place from January 15-16 in Seattle, WA. The event will feature roundtable discussions and lectures on a variety of topics including in-game economies, Linux game development, user generated content, the Steam Controller and virtual reality.

Oculus Rift is paving the way into virtual reality gaming as interest in virtual reality technology has grown since the Oculus Rift’s Kickstarter campaign in mid-2012. While Valve is still interested in pursuing its own virtual reality technology in head-tracking and headset manufacture and design, right now it’s ready to support the technology for games on Steam Machines.

The new SDK is designed to encourage the development of games for Steam and Steam OS. Coomer revealed the kit will be part of a broader software tool. He said the same level of abstraction applied to a Steam Controller will also be needed for virtual reality headsets in order for them to become “ubiquitous.” With a standard interface in place, players will not have to re-configure control setups every time they swap games. The intention really is for Valve to bridge the gap between manufacturers and developers, in order to create something approaching an industry standard.

Valve is also working with other companies right now but has made no specific announcements yet, Coomer said.

“There’s also technology in development at Valve based around head-tracking and headset manufacture and design. We are working with other companies right now but we have not made any specific announcements,” he says.

At the same event, Valve interest in hardware and offering some rationale for the Steam Machines initiative, Coomer said, “Steam is in a unique position to be this intermediary between hardware and software and users. Without that its going to be hard for any device to get any serious traction.”

Steam Machines are something Valve is going to have to market well to consumers as the company’s exploration into the living room. Valve apparently wants to create an affordable and standardized system for in-game VR control.