Case in point: at no point during our hands-on time did the system lose track of the controllers. We won’t dwell on this aspect, but the fact that the Vive Index uses base stations at all feels like a step backwards, even if the end result it a good one – the Valve Index does a much better job of tracking behind-the-back hand movements (a rare use case, we know) than any other headset.

Now, if you have a Vive or Vive Pro headset already, the first-gen base stations are compatible with the Valve Index, but you’ll probably want to start with the second-gen stations if you don’t have a pair already. Inside the box you’ll find the headset itself, the new Valve Index Controllers (colloquially referred to as ‘knuckle’ controllers), and the Version 2.0 Base Stations, which need to be set up around your room. For comparison, the more-expensive Vive Pro has a lower refresh rate and smaller field of view, so this actually feels like a big upgrade. Unlike Oculus, which has actually dropped the refresh rate of its displays for the Oculus Rift S, the Valve Index has a 120Hz display, with the option to bump this up to 144Hz. In terms of hard numbers, the Valve Index uses a dual LCD display with a 1440 x 1600 resolution per eye. The problem here is that, for folks who wear glasses, you won’t be able to get the lenses right up to your eyes – and that means you'll see a similar field of view to what you'd get with the other headsets out there. How does it do that? The science of this is pretty self-explanatory, but basically the closer a screen is to your face, the wider the field of view. It’s the first dial that’s actually groundbreaking, as that’s what allows the Index to achieve its industry-leading field of view spec.

While the second is definitely important, it’s something we’ve seen before. To keep it that way, there are two dials you’ll need to use – one on the left side that changes the physical distance from the lens to your eyes, and the one on that back that makes the headband tighter or looser. Go to put the headset on and you’ll feel the stone gray pads that line the inside it’s a similar Halo design to what Oculus is doing on the Rift S, and it feels both comfortable and snug. On the front, there’s a glossy plastic faceplate above two front-facing cameras that can be used for passthrough video and, potentially, AR applications. It’s easy to write off the Valve Index as another nondescript VR headset in the same vein as any Oculus Rift or HTC Vive headset – but the devil’s all in the detail here. Valve Index (PC Black) at Amazon for $1,687.97.But are any of these issues deal-breakers for getting your own Valve VR headset, assuming you can find one? Not at all.

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