We purchased the Valve Index so that our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and review it. Read on for our full product review.
Quest 3 vs Valve Index. The best VR headset
Welcome to the next generation of VR. It’s taken a whopping four years, but Valve has finally given us the Index, a $999 VR kit with a 120Hz refresh rate, touch-sensitive controllers, and a “frunk” for VR developers. It’s the first consumer headset to offer such high refresh rates, helping new VR users avoid VR sickness. The new Rift S, on the other hand, has an 80Hz refresh rate, lower than the retired Rift’s 90Hz refresh rate (VR experts recommend no less than 90Hz to reduce motion sickness). In addition to the refresh rate, the Index’s Dual 1440 x 1600 LCD display rivals the Vive Pro’s resolution and looks noticeably brighter thanks to a reduced screen-door effect.
The other major feature of the Index is its controllers: they’re pressure-sensitive, thanks to conduction sensors that can detect which fingers you’re holding. Not many developers have played with the possibilities these controllers offer, but the few games that do support them offer a completely unique VR experience. It adds another layer to the bigger picture of immersion that the Index kit achieves so easily.
The Valve Index VR kit comes with a fair number of parts: the head-mounted display, two symmetrical Index controllers (colloquially known as the “knuckles”), two base stations, and a fair number of cables.
