The Valve Index is a virtual reality headset manufactured by Valve. It was released in May 2019, following an announcement in April 2019. It is the company’s 1st VR headset release.
– This headset requires a connection to a PC in order to be used.
– This headset is heavy. 809 g
– This headset has a high refresh rate. 144 Hz
– This headset has a high horizontal field of view. 108°
– This headset requires external base stations for full tracking capability.
– This headset can be purchased with two 6DoF controllers.
The Valve index was the first headset to be produced solely by Valve, as opposed to the HTC Vive, which was produced as a collaboration between Valve and HTC.
The headset features controllers equipped with full individual finger tracking, that can be held with an open hand due to straps that wrap around the user’s knuckles.
Tech specs
Displays
Dual 1440 x 1600 LCDs, full RGB per pixel, ultra-low persistence global backlight illumination (0.330ms at 144Hz)
Framerate
80/90/120/144Hz
Optics
Double element, canted lens design
Field of View (FOV)
Optimized eye relief adjustment allows a typical user experience 20º more than the HTC Vive
Inter-pupillary Distance (IPD)
58mm – 70mm range physical adjustment
Ergonomic Adjustments
Head size, eye relief (FOV), IPD, speaker positions. Rear cradle adapter included.
Connections
5m tether, 1m breakaway trident connector. USB 3.0, DisplayPort 1.2, 12V power
Tracking
SteamVR 2.0 sensors, compatible with SteamVR 1.0 and 2.0 base stations
Audio
Built-in: 37.5mm off-ear Balanced Mode Radiators (BMR), Frequency Response: 40Hz – 24KHz, Impedance: 6 Ohm, SPL: 98.96 dBSPL at 1cm.
Aux Headphone Out 3.5mm
Microphone
Dual Microphone Array, Frequency response: 20Hz – 24kHz, Sensitivity: -25dBFS/Pa @ 1kHz
Cameras
Stereo 960 x 960 pixel, global shutter, RGB (Bayer)