Valve Index Design
The Valve Index may well be the most thoroughly developed VR headset to date. Looking at the design, the Valve Index was created with the word 'comfort' in mind. Even after extended play sessions, the Index remains remarkably comfortable on the head.
Robustly Built
The case primarily consists of a converted VR Flightcase with dimensions of 58 x 46 x 30 cm (l x w x h). The case features a standard handle, two wheels, and a retractable handle. This makes the case also usable as a trolley. Quite handy, because the case, filled with hardware, weighs about 15 to 20 kg. The hard exterior material of the case can withstand a good knock.
Valve Knuckle Controllers
Where the Valve Index truly distinguishes itself from its competitors are the Valve Knuckle controllers. The Valve Knuckles are hands-on controllers that you bind around your hand via a strap. This means you no longer have to hold the controller, but the controllers rest on your hands without having to squeeze them. This takes some getting used to at first, as you are automatically accustomed to holding (and therefore squeezing) your controllers. But after a while, you get the hang of how the controllers work and you realize that the Valve Knuckles are a very pleasant way of controlling. The best part about the Valve Knuckles is that they have a new way of 'finger tracking'. Every individual finger on your hand can therefore be fully tracked! This comes in particularly handy in the game 'Aperture Hand Lab', where you play a robot in the world of Portal. You have to get through the world by performing tasks with your hands and fingers. For example, you get the task to pick something up, wave to someone or give someone a thumbs up.
The disadvantage of the Valve Knuckles (and the new way of finger tracking) is that there are still relatively few games that do something with this. Aperture Hand Lab is a good example of how games can use finger tracking, but there are still many games that are used to the 'old' controllers. Luckily, there are enough game developers who are responding to the trend of the new controllers and with this we can of course expect that in the coming months there will be enough games that optimally utilize finger tracking.
Image and tracking capabilities
The Index uses a dual-LCD screen with 1440 x 1600 pixels per eye. With the very high refresh rate of 120 Hz, games are played incredibly smoothly and sharply. There is even the option to increase the refresh rate to 144 Hz for an even smoother experience. The screen-door-effect is therefore kept to a minimum, although you can distinguish some individual pixels if you really pay attention to it. The Valve Index works with the well-known base stations - lighthouses - from HTC or Valve. This method of external tracking ensures that you always have good working tracking in a room, and no loss of tracking when you hold the controllers behind your back (something that can be a problem with inside-out tracking, such as with the Oculus Rift S). In addition, the Valve Index is fully compatible with the HTC Vive and Vive Pro. The base stations are identical to each other and can also communicate with each other. This makes the Valve Index a particularly good addition if you want to upgrade from the 'old-fashioned' HTC Vive.
Conclusion
With the new Valve Index, another new high-end VR headset has been brought to market. There are certainly no gaps that the headset fills, but it is a welcome addition to the current VR range. The Valve Index falls somewhere between the Oculus Rift S and the HTC Vive Pro. Where the Oculus Rift S is primarily aimed at consumers and the HTC Vive Pro is aimed at business users; the Valve Index sits right in between. In terms of specifications and method of tracking, the Index can compete with the Vive Pro, but in terms of price and applicability, it is also the ideal headset for consumers to venture into high-end VR for the first time. The new Valve Knuckles are a breath of fresh air in the field of motion controlling. We think that other VR headsets definitely need to go along with this innovation, because the Knuckles are noticeably more comfortable and can do more than the old-fashioned motion controllers.
So, are you looking for a VR headset with very sharp quality, accurate tracking and very comfortable controllers? Then the Valve Index is an excellent choice! Click here to order the Valve Index.
