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What's under the hood
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Display: Dual 1440x1600 RGB LCDs1. These provide 50% more subpixels than OLED, resulting in greater sharpness.
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Refresh Rate: The headset runs at 120Hz with full back-compatibility to 90Hz, as well as an experimental 144Hz mode. Higher framerates improve realism and optical comfort, allowing longer and more comfortable play sessions.
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Field of View: Fine-tuned lenses offer the sharpest, widest view across the eye’s full range of travel. This headset provides 20° more FOV than the HTC Vive for typical users.
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Audio: The headset features innovative off-ear audio solution optimized for immersion and comfort1.
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Tracking: The Valve Index uses traditional controllers for tracking.
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Weight: The headset weighs 845g.
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Price: The headset is priced at $239
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Persistence: Valve Index displays have a reduced illumination period of 0.330ms to 0.530ms (framerate dependent), allowing imagery to remain just as sharp when your head is in motion as when you’re standing still
The Full Story
What is the VALVE Index? The Valve Index is a high-end virtual reality (VR) headset created and manufactured by Valve1. It was announced on April 30, 2019, and released on June 28 of the same year1. It’s a second-generation headset and the first to be manufactured completely by Valve1. The headset uses an IPS fast switching 1440×1600 LCD panel for each eye for a combined resolution of 2880×16001. The panels are full RGB and can operate at refresh rates of 80, 90, 120, or 144 Hz1. The specified field of view is 130°.
How does it compare to the competition? The Valve Index is considered one of the most advanced PC VR headsets. It’s often compared to the Sony PlayStation VR2 and the Meta Quest 223. The PlayStation VR2 is a comprehensive upgrade that tops its predecessor in terms of graphics, sound, and tracking technology, making it a must-buy headset for PS5 owners interested in virtual reality. However, the Valve Index is praised for its revolutionary, finger-tracking controllers2.
The Meta Quest 2 is a cheaper VR option and is the most popular headset on Steam. But the Valve Index is still considered one of the most powerful solutions for VR5. Where is it going? There are rumors and predictions about a Valve Index 245. If a Valve Index 2 is coming, it likely won’t arrive until sometime in the first half of 2024 at the earliest. A dive into Steam’s latest app update indicates Valve may be working on an Index VR headset with a battery. Aside from this, it’s likely the headset would swap out base stations for built-in cameras.
Positive things about the headset The Valve Index has almost everything we want in a next-generation PC VR headset. It delivers excellent image quality, believable VR presence, and it has a revolutionary pair of motion tracking controllers. It’s also praised for its wider field of view, ‘Knuckle’ controllers, room-scale VR, and great audio. However, it’s worth noting that it’s quite expensive, but hopefully, its innovations will spur on cheaper competition.
Where can you get your hands on one?