Skip to main content

Valve Index VR headset costs $500, but the full bundle will set you back $1,000

Valve Index price release date specs hardware 1000 500 499 999
Image used with permission by copyright holder

A lot of the kinks in virtual reality hardware and software have been ironed out, and Valve has decided to jump into the front end of the current generation of immersive experiences with the Index VR head-mounted display. The original reveal of the Valve Index included plans to reveal more in May, but we have a price and official release date a bit sooner. The Valve Index will ship June 28 and the complex VR kit with the headset, controllers, and two base stations will cost $1,000.

Individually, you can get the Valve Index VR HMD for $500. The controllers are $280, and you can get them bundled with the Index for $750 to save a few bucks. The Valve Index Base Station’s price is $150 and is compatible with any headset with support for SteamVR 2.0 like the Index and HTC Vive Pro.

Recommended Videos

Valve Index VR HMD specs

  • Dual 1,440 x 1,600 RBG LCDs
  • Capable of 80/90/120/144Hz frame rates
  • Adjustable IPD (distance between eyes) and eye relief (distance from the lens to eyes)
  • “headset provides 20 degrees more FOV than the HTC Vive for typical users”
  • Off-ear speakers
  • Magnetic face pads that can be swapped
  • RBG cameras for computer vision
  • USB 3 Type-A port expansion slot

The specs for the Valve Index place it firmly in the second generation of PC-tethered VR headsets with performance rivaling the similarly priced HTC Vive Pro.

Valve Index Controllers

The devices that were formerly known as “Knuckles” are now officially known as the Valve Index controllers. As described on the official webpage, the controllers are “designed from the ground up to enable natural interactions, high-fidelity hand presence, and long-term comfort.” The Boneworks experimental project from Stress Level Zero, which you can see in a video below, shows off what the controllers are capable of.

The Valve Index will be compatible with SteamVR content, but there’s sure to be a few major titles released at or around launch to convince enthusiasts to pick this up. UploadVR reports that the VR headset’s flagship game is coming in 2019 and will be compatible with any hardware with SteamVR support. There have been rumors that Valve is working on something related to Half-Life, but we’ll have to wait and see just what’s in store. It’s highly unlikely it’s Half-Life 3, but we can dream.

Charles Singletary Jr.
I'm a Birmingham, AL raised author, journalist, and gaming enthusiast currently residing in San Antonio, TX. My work has…
Is the Stardew Valley 1.6 update on consoles and mobile? Switch, PS5, Xbox, more
Stardew Valley

There are few cozy games as successful and beloved as Stardew Valley, so it's no wonder it has received regular updates since its 2016 release.

The 1.6 update for Stardew Valley was released back in March 2024 for PC, adding new festivals and events, NPC dialogues, farm types, more pets, and much more. Unfortunately, the update did not immediately release on consoles, leaving farmers playing on smartphones, Switch, Xbox or PlayStation waiting for all the new content.

Read more
How to open the Warden Vault in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Inside the Warden Vault in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

If you thought the puzzles in Dragon Age: The Veilguard were too easy, you haven't tackled The Warden Vault quest yet. Available in the Rivain Coast, The Warden Vault is a side quest, one of many incredible side quests, that has you figure out how to open the locked door to the Warden's Vault underneath a huge castle.

This puzzle requires you to solve three separate puzzles within the castle, but they are far from obvious. Without the right guidance, Rook and the party can easily get lost throughout this castle and not know how to unlock the Warden's Vault in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, so here's how to solve it.
How to unlock The Warden Vault side quest

Read more
The fastest ways to gain XP in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Kill Order gameplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Ever since Modern Warfare, Call of Duty fans have been obsessed with finding every tip and trick they can to level up faster. Now that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has arrived with a refreshed Prestige system, the drive to grind levels is again at an all-time high. While everything you do does earn you XP, they are not all created equal. Just like picking your Wildcards or Perks, earning XP as fast as possible takes a bit of thought and planning. If there's a piece of equipment you have your eye on at a high level, or just want to grind through some Prestige ranks as fast as possible, here are the fastest ways to grind XP in Black Ops 6.
Do your dailies

We'll get the most obvious tip out of the way first. Daily challenges are back and work just as they always have. Every 24 hours you will be given a handful of small optional tasks to complete for a heap of bonus XP. These can be things like getting Scorestreak kills, getting Point Blank Kills, and getting kills with a specific weapon type. Most daily challenges are worth 2,500 XP, which is already a nice bonus, but there is also a fourth one that can be worth between 3,000 and 5,000 additional XP. Each day you log on, you should prioritize your daily challenges.
Tailor your loadout and play the objective

Read more