Valve Index VR Kit Review

The Valve Index takes VR to the next level with its revolutionary finger-tracking controllers. These controllers allow you to interact with your virtual environment in a completely new way, making your VR experience more immersive than ever before.

$1,679.00
At Amazon.com
$999.00
At Steam.com

Though it is an expensive VR system at $999 for the full headset, controllers, and base stations package; I was impressed by how well these particular pieces of equipment performed. The Valve Index delivers a smoother 120Hz refresh rate which makes your virtual experience much more enjoyable than others out there besides delivering this benefit alone.

Smooth, Solid and Comfort Design

The Index is a more advanced virtual reality headset that delivers an immersive experience with its large, face-mounted display and sturdy head harness. It’s also black like many other headsets on the market but features some sleek futuristic design elements to give you total confidence in your digital travels.

When the cover is off, you can see what looks like an empty space in the front section. This area seems to be specifically designed for storage or some other purpose yet unknown at this time; however, there isn’t much information available on it currently so we’ll have to wait until something becomes clearer. The future of this technology is still uncertain, but it could potentially be used to house additional sensors.

valve index

The cameras below the front plate provide a unique room view while you use steam VR. The two lensed devices highlight nearby objects with 2D or 3D outlines, letting me know when I’m near anything that can trip since my Steamvr session extends into other areas of this virtual world.

The view also shows your hands, so you can accurately reach out for physical objects while wearing the headset. It’s a much more useful feature than an awkward camera passthrough on Oculus Rift headsets because it displays a natural field of vision with its 3D tracking rather than limited views as seen before indirect feeds from cameras placed above or next to one’s head.

The headset’s underside features a utility button that launches the SteamVR overlay; two pinhole microphones and a sliding switch for adjusting lenses’ pupillary distance (PD). A knob on the right side lets you change how close or far away from your face they are, which is useful if one lens has been damaged in some way. The speakers are designed to sit just slightly above your ears and rotating arms allow them to get as close or far away from you on the struts.

The headgear is designed to give you comfort and ease of movement while wearing the VR headset. The harness consists primarily of two large, curved plastic bands that are padded with memory foam covered in anti-microbial fabric (the same materials as found on your facemask). There’s also an adjustable strap over one side for extra security when it comes time to put them all together.

To get the best experience possible, make sure you adjust these straps so they fit snugly and evenly around your head. The plastic arcs on the back of the harness have a ratcheting dial for tightening securely over one’s noggin while providing just enough give when needed to be comfortable all day long.

The Breakaway cable is 16 feet long and runs from the headset through a harness. There are also three cables: One with DisplayPort, USB Plug in order to connect your computer while another has Power Port that will allow you to charge up an included power adapter. The headset needs its own power, so make sure you have an open outlet.

The bases stations require their own outlets and are necessary to track the headset’s position in a room. Each base station is 3×2.5×2.5 inches black box with a curved front for holding all of its sensors, which should be plugged into the wall via the dedicated adapter that comes complete 10-foot long cable ending onto the awkward brick-like device. The base stations are designed to be placed on an included adjustable stand, and they connect with screw mounts that allow you the option of setting them either flat or vertically.

Controllers

The Valve Index controllers are a lot like other VR controller models, but they have some interesting features of their own. With better ergonomics and grip AI tech built-in to help you wield them with ease, the whole experience might just feel more natural than others out there.

The controller has a large, grippable handle; a front trigger, and a circular control surface on the top with two face buttons. There is also an analog stick that performs as your standard FPS control. Underneath this sits their own patented motion tracking technology that can detect when you are moving around or not.

The extra fabric strap system means that even when you’re letting go with all your fingers, this controller remains comfortable and in place. Not only does it have a wriststrap but also an adjustable plastic arc that wraps around your knuckles for added support.

The handles have built-in sensors that track each finger, so you can use all 10 of your hands in-game! This is an improvement over other popular controllers like Oculus Touch which only tracks one hand at a time and doesn’t give total control over every individual digit on our fingers or thumbs – but there’s still more than enough flexibility when it comes down right holding this new device versus playing without anything else involved outside looking straight ahead through headphones.

Positive
  • Fully immersive experience
  • Latest in VR technology
  • Works with PC software
Negative
  • Controller design needs to improve
  • Expensive

VR Action

The new Valve Index uses LCDs to provide 1,600-by -1,440 images for each eye. The panel has been designed with an impressive 120Hz refresh rate and backward compatibility in mind making it easy to transition from current displays like Oculus Quest 2 which offers only 1,920 x 1,832 resolution while Vive Cosmos come up short at 1,700 X 1,400 pixels but still have 90Hz maximum Hz supported by their panels.

The Valve Index is a tethered VR headset that requires less hardware than some other competitors. It lists an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 480 as its minimum requirements and recommends at least a quad-core processor with hyper-threading for better performance in games.

Once you have set up your Index, it’s time for some fun! There are multiple steps but they’re all pretty direct. You’ll need to figure out how everything plugs in and where the base stations should go (and cleared an area of 6 by 5 feet or more if possible), then start playing with different modes until something sounds good enough that will work best for what type music listeners like yourself prefer – balanced sound quality without any static interference from other sources around them while still giving off clean bass tones when needed.

Once you have set up your play space, SteamVR will automatically detect the headset and controllers. It is then ready for some serious gaming!

Impresive VR Control

The Valve Index is a revolutionary VR system that offers the most impressive hands-on experience we’ve felt so far. The company’s innovative controllers are also worth mentioning, with their finger tracking tech and ability to be used in different ways like gripping handles or having fingers open for more immersive playtime—not to mention how great it feels when you do use your whole hand instead just one digit at a time.

There’s little point in extending only your pinky when using most virtual reality games, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth playing! Whether you have a $1K+ budget or just want to try out some new tech for yourself and see if it becomes an addiction – these headsets will make any gamer feel like a king.

The Valve Index is a tethered VR system that offers unparalleled graphics and reactivity. It’s our Editor’s Choice pick for those who can afford it, as well as anyone else looking to take full advantage of all their virtual reality opportunities with the best possible experience at any time.

Simon
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