I’ve written previously about Valve’s unique yet eminently practical new controllers. And while the design might be clunky, it certainly doesn’t look or feel cheap - although that should really be taken for granted on a nearly $1,000 headset. But Valve more than justifies its bulkiness. It’s not my favorite aesthetic, and with its two cameras, it shares the “sad robot with giant forehead” look of the Rift S.
The front features a slightly RoboCop-like strip of shiny plastic, which you can pull off to reveal the frunk. It’s a big, attention-grabbing black helmet covered in dials and sliders. The Index doesn’t make any pretenses toward coziness, stylishness, or minimalism.
VALVE INDEX EYE TRACKING PROFESSIONAL
But since the Index is a top-of-the-line system aimed at people who want loud, intense gaming experiences or who work in professional settings, I wish Valve had looked for a slightly more discreet solution. I’m willing to accept that sacrifice on a cheaper product, and you can always plug your own headphones into the Index. These headsets all share one basic problem, though: everybody can hear exactly what you’re doing from several feet away. That’s very comfortable in long VR sessions, and it sounds richer and more realistically ambient than the Oculus Rift or Quest’s strap-based speakers.
The Index features two speakers that look a lot like headphones, but they sit about an inch away from your ears, projecting sound without actually pressing against your head. Like several other companies, Valve is also experimenting with speaker-based audio systems. The headset isn’t the lightest I’ve tried, but I felt all right after an hour or more in VR. The padded strap design simply feels great. Some people won’t need these features - I’m usually fine with less versatile headsets - but they help fulfill the Vive’s promise of offering the best experience to the biggest number of users. A dial lets you change the distance between your eyes and the lenses, giving you even more control over the image. You can adjust the distance between lenses to find the best focus, which is an excellent feature that Oculus controversially removed from the Rift. It features a comfortably padded, helmet-like headband that tightens with a dial on the back, similar to HTC’s alternative Vive head strap. The Index adopts great design elements from the Vive, Rift, and moreīut the Index also adopts some great overall design elements from other headsets.