Should You Buy A Valve Index In 2024!? | Valve Index Review

[@korbykob]

I actually got to try the Valve Index myself the other day after using the Quest 2 and Quest 3, I have to disagree with a couple points though: The resolution for the valve index is incredibly noticeable but that is something you could easily just get used to and never notice. Refresh rate does not affect performance (but obviously resolution does), it's just a limit to the fps you can see in the displays and fps that the game will run at and saves a bit of battery life on the Quest meaning you would not need to do that unless your PC cannot handle that fps (this can be severely helped with Virtual Desktop). Virtual Desktop is something I use with the Quest 3 and gets around a LOT of issues with Meta's steaming pil- link software alongside adding a bunch too, this would probably had been your fix for the Quest problem you had as has a multitude of techniques including SSW to render at half the framerate and fill in the gaps, allowing 120 fps at only 60 real fps and has support for its own runtime which makes it like using SteamVR with the Valve Index and giving that extremely noticeable performance boost, the only problem is that an "alright" at least internet connection and an ethernet cable to the PC is almost required to use Virtual Desktop. Eye tracking or lower body tracking is not a standard at all and adds a LOT of cost to headsets and power usage and hardly anything makes use of its data. I really love this video though as it seems that a lot of people just assume the valve index is the best headset of all time in 2024 and even in places like VRChat it has a token of power despite the Quest 3 being better in almost every degree and I hope that this video settles a couple of those ideas. Nice work man!

[@LegacyPixl]

Thank you so much! I personally added the points with the eye tracking as it is being added into headsets such as the psvr2, but I thought I would add it, lol. I personally can't use virtual desktops too much due to a poor wifi connection, but if you can use it, a lot of the issues I mentioned would be removed/mitigated. I was just talking from some of my personal experience, and I do agree with a lot of the things you said! Thank you for the kind words and feedback!

[@korbykob]

Yeah the good internet connection really sucks, but Virtual Desktop is the biggest life saver in Quest PCVR. Thanks so much for the pin! You're getting somewhere great man!

[@LegacyPixl]

Thank you!

[@SargonDragon]

The Valve Index continues to be popular for VRChat even in 2024 because it has much better FBT support than the Quest 3. Also because the Index's controllers can track in any arbitrary position, not just in front of you, which is much more useful for social VR than it is, for example, for an FPS game. The FBT solutions available for Quest are hacky and difficult to use. That's because Meta for some reason has an ongoing vendetta against legs in VR, and while Meta finally caved in and started supporting legs on its avatars more recently, it still refuses to support FBT. Consequently, FBT solutions on Quest have to try to work around total lack of first party support. Most of these workarounds are _painful,_ requiring the user to periodically perform weird dances and such. Other headsets that use the basestation ecosystem share its excellent FBT support, but all modern headsets using this system are between 2-8 times as expensive as the index. So this is a major reason why the Index is still on the map.

[@korbykob]

@@SargonDragon Uh no? mixed tracking works perfectly fine and so many do it, plus there's SlimeVR, this just isn't true at all. (Other than meta not using legs, yeah that is kinda weird)

[@Flinge]

the index has the most precise tracking due to the special laser tracking base stations valve made which is a reason why most people buy it than a quest which uses cameras and can only see whats in front of it, and due to the index being a pcvr only headset it has 0 latency when playing but on quest there is a slight latency (swingbug) i switched from quest 1 to cv1 and while it still uses infrared tracking and is not as good as laser tracking i like the experience a lot better

[@levik3734]

I have owned the rift s, quest 1, valve index, and Quest 3. The quest 3 wins by a mile for PCVR, I’m not sure how they do it, but I can even do tricks in blade and sorcery behind my back. I can really only see the laser tracking base stations being useful for people who play games like VR Chat.

[@SargonDragon]

It's crazy that the Index is still competitive at all in 2024, but it still has some fight left in it. In my opinion, any new headset should equal or exceed the old Index in every way as a baseline. Yet even today _not a single one of them does._ The Quest 3 is often said to be better than the Index, but the Index has better tracking, better FBT support, higher frame rate, much better audio, and no latency or compression artifacts. The Bigscreen Beyond is the closest to being an upgrade over the Index by every measure, but the Index still has wider FOV, better edge to edge clarity, and higher frame rate.

[@Nobody-Nowhere]

Its not competitive at all in 2024. Its just fanboys running a cult. It was the last 2MP headset ever released, it was 1-2 year behind on release.

[@SargonDragon]

​@@Nobody-Nowhere I've heard this claim that Index users must be some sort of cult many times before. It comes from Quest fanboys who can't fathom other headsets being better than their beloved Quest 3 in any way (even much more expensive headsets). It really grinds them that a 5 year old premium headset is still objectively better than the newest Quest in several ways. I own both headsets (and several others). The Index is definitely aged in its display, but it still holds up surprisingly well overall. And there are still use cases where I would recommend it over Quest, especially for VRChat (primarily due to Quest's poor FBT support). Though I would probably recommend Quest 3 for more use cases at this point, it's not actually a clear choice either way. There are substantial downsides to any VR headset available in 2024, so you have to pick your poison (or own multiple of them for different uses like I do).

[@yessking1123]

@SargonDragon I own both headsets too and welp... in my opinion If you are willing to go through the pain of putting an extra tracker on your headset and using valve index controllers buying dongles... and a wifi6 router, a battery strap to counter weight, facial interface... then yeah I would 100000 times go with the quest3, you just launch Virtual Desktop and go, I play with 500 bitrate and 37ms of latency and ngl you can "more or less" see the compression... it's still waaaaaaaaay better than the index. With all that at least for me, the index for me is probably one of the worst comfort wise, but it could be cuz of my head/face shape but tbf the weight still goes down your face anyway xd

[@Killertamagotchi]

I got the Index, for example, towards the end of 2023. Even though the lenses are rather outdated and the display resolution is like that, I still find the microphones (yes, it's not just one microphone, but two on the bottom) to be of insanely good quality for the price (even premium HMDs like Bigscreen have a worse microphone installed and cost more than the Index Starter Kit). The headphones, which are also very good. And then the tracking, even if you need the base station for it. But it's still the cleanest and most precise tracking, be it from the controllers, HDM or FBTs. But the fact that the Index Kit costs over $1200 in your country is pretty bad. In Europe it only costs a little over €1000 (including tax and shipping)

[@velocityld6883]

I went from a valve index using it for 3 years and 3K hours and then buying a quest 3 to upgrade too as I wanted higher resolution. My quest 3 on link is amazing. Runs at 1.7x resolution and 120hz. Refresh rate change was not noticable from the 144 on my index to the 120hz. My pc can run that resolution at 120hz fine. Runs high/ultra on half life alyx. I also use a vive tracker on the quest 3 so I am still using my index controllers. I tried using the index again after using the ques3 and personally it was really hard to get past the resolution.

[@velocityld6883]

I also used a github project that co,pletly removes oculus dash removing the overhead it needs to runs. Steamvr launches as soon as I hit enable quest link and runs so much better without oculus dash.

[@CMak3r]

A lot of headaches and pink lines can be resolved by stopping background services and processes in Windows. Do I really need geolocation services, print spooler, telemetry, Bluetooth services, Wacom drivers, IPhelper for IPv6, pen input, chrome update processes, etc, when I’m playing VR? Nope. Quest 3, SteamVR, stable 90-120hz, WiFi 6. I personally enjoy wireless more than anything because I just can walk in my apartment with a pass through

[@CMak3r]

SteamVR also works almost great with wireless connection, but due to unknown reasons, the foveated rendering cannot be turned off, so I get used to connecting to Quest Link first, and only then launching games from my steam library, this way I can look at my beatsaber score with my eyes, rather than swigging my neck left and right really fast

[@DiamondDepthYT]

I love my quest 2, but.. for pcvr, I do find it annoying that the resolution is too high for my PC specs. ..so I've gotten a Rift cv1 and I'm loving it. I know, it's old AF. But the OLED screen, it's light weight, the amazing headphones, and the beastly controllers + tracking have made it great for $70.

[@DecodedWasTaken_]

what i gathered from this video as a person who is thinking about getting an index is if you have the money to spend on it and dont care about the newest features such as face tracking and mixed reality, and a slight resolution setback from the quest 2 then its still a decent headset to get

[@LegacyPixl]

Basically!

[@boozzt]

You can actually use quest 3 without running trough both the meta software and steamvr. I use the quest killer mod that deletes the whole meta software when u are linked to the pc. So every game i play runs smooth at 120hz and max resolution

[@MrScortch]

I'm actually thinking of getting the beyond headset due to its light build

[@Samantha-jd6hv]

I just bought myself a used piamx 5k XR and I cannot wait to use it

[@miniasainjeff]

so if i were to get a valve index (which i already have a quest 2) i think it wouldnt be as bad bc i would be able to switch between the two whenever for different reasons and different trade offs, so if i scraped some money together, should i buy the valve index?

[@LegacyPixl]

That's what I did lol, but I would also say to look into other headset options as the index is outdated in many areas!

[@Gouuui2]

I would prefer to have a valve index over a quest just because I don’t like Facebook and the fact that they completely block your quest if you do certain things. You’ve basically spent $500 on a paper weight.

[@ChillinLikeADylanYT]

You deserve more subscribers honestly

[@LegacyPixl]

Thank you!

[@Redgambler21]

If anyone is wondering about the games he’s playing in the background they are bonelab and vail and beatsaber which are all available in the quest store and on steam

[@briank3754]

Thankfully no need for foveated rendering with the Index resolution nowadays. I would much prefer the Index than the Quest. I had both Rifts and all the Quests. The Rifts were great, but I have no idea why I keep buying the Quests every generation. I guess because my kids use them. I have a Reverb G2 and had a Varjo Aero as well. I am primarily a flight simmer in VR, so the Index wasn’t really the best with all the glare. But at this point I may get the Index for the occasional room scale fun and trade the Quest 3 in for a Pimax Crystal Light. I think the Index can still be relevant in 2025 for room scale. The Index looks almost as good as the Quest 3 in PCVR in my opinion if you can get past the glare. I don’t even mind the cable, because the Quest is so uncomfortable that it isn’t usable for me.

[@BigFrogg]

Personally I’ve started using my psvr2 when playing on PC. I use the quest 3 for watching movies etc and playing the exclusives like Batman (which is great)

[@LegacyPixl]

Nice!

[@revision-revision-revision]

I think for me... I wouldn't buy an Index now at full price, but if you already own an Index (like I do), there's not much point in getting something else unless your headset is dead or dying. Nothing really does everything that the Index does but better. The Index still punches rather well for its age, and every other headset and associated gear has some kind of slew of issues that the Index just doesn't have, even if their resolution or lenses are better. Part of this reasoning as well is that, frankly, there's just not that much of an application for VR/AR/XR as it stands. The biggest use case is video games, and huge swathes of what's out there for VR just kinda suck or are abandonware or are tied to one ecosystem or another. Further to that, just look at the top selling VR games on Steam - half are old ports of pancake games and the other half are the same games that have always been there! It's hard to justify getting a new Index or upgrading from one (or upgrading from any headset, to be honest) until the larger market changes or some really impressive tech actually comes out without some really silly compromises. I'm honestly just waiting to see what Valve does next in the space to see if I should get back into things proper, or just give it another half-decade.

[@TheHelpMaster]

Im buying myself an index again after i sold mine (that i bought new on Steam) because i left my camera in the train and do alot of photoshoots. Found one today on a Marketplace for 320$ which is a steal tbh.

[@proggz39]

No way dude. Index’s are 6 years old and one that cheap you know has been around. I doubt a used one has much life left in it or hasn’t been tossed around

[@sewercell]

The reason why I got the index is basically the same reason why you did because the I went from the quest 2 to the index and like I couldn't go back because of the 144hz and like ima be so real the resolution is good enough for me because like you don't want your VRAM get eaten up for no absolute reason and like you want better performance than quality if you are like me because most VR games aren't really in the realistic aspect even in 2024 (which the only game in my opinion is relatively realistic is Half Life Alyx) I do run my games at max but my resolution stays relatively near the default which in most cases i get 125 - 144 depending on what I am doing. I've been using the index about under a year and honestly I wouldn't recommend it to new users but if you have the pc for it and space then I will recommend it. The index is more of the enthusiast VR Headset than a every day gaming VR headset so that's another reason why to not recommend it because like if you not making content i don't see someone having a use case for it but then again that would be me just being a hypocrite, but I do plan on making content In the future, I've just been off the radar. (also another reason why I use the Index is Better Tracking, Better Mic, Less Latency, and Its Natively Connected to SteamVR)

[@Nobody-Nowhere]

Its because you are not evolved enough to write readable sentences.

[@Jmankohl]

Quest has the standalone feature so it's personally my favourite.

[@hezvandermeij]

So, how about someone who prefers playing PC-VR Steam games like yourself & mainly: Has a strong dislike for anything Meta due to what I see and experience around them (incl having actually tried it), but still has a too-tight budget for the newest Beyond etc sets??

[@LegacyPixl]

Then it may be worth it lol

[@digsnbones]

Not to mention you can use vive wands with the index which is awesome

[@eludelessRBLX]

hopefully valve will make a new headset soon

[@NightlySakura-b2r]

Imo the quest 3 is good as long as you play only standalone (as said in the video), I always had issues with the quest 1, quest 2 and quest 3. Doesn't matter if it was connecting with the PC or tracking. For me the tracking is the most important since I play Beat Saber on a competitive level and the quest series always gave me a headache with their software being buggy or just straight up not working. But if you really want to play only or mostly PCVR you should go for an Index or HTC Vive with index controllers, for everything else the quest should be fine as long as it doesn't require fast movement :) Also great Video, it got randomly recommended and I have to say you definitely deserve more subscribers, also love your editing style :) Keep up the work!

[@LegacyPixl]

Thank you so much! I also mostly play Beat Saber on PCVR and the quest software was just a bit to annoying to deal with sometimes, standalone works great though lol

[@Dissline]

Just grab the Pro controllers with cameras from the Meta store and pick up third-party software for a few bucks. The Quest 3 is better in every way. If there’s something you don’t like about Meta Quest devices, you can invest a bit more to customize your setup and create your perfect VR experience at a manageable price. Stop torturing yourself with that years-old Index!

[@NeoCreo1]

@Dissline Dude, you sound like such a fanboy.

[@Dissline]

@@NeoCreo1 Compare the release dates of the Valve Index and the Meta Quest 3, and it's clear that no one today would recommend buying the Index with a clear conscience. The Quest 3 is a modern device equipped with advanced features like AV1 codec support, higher resolution, improved pancake lenses, standalone functionality (essentially functioning like a smartphone), and advanced tracking software. Additionally, the Quest 3's immense popularity-accounting for 90% of the VR market-makes it a prime target for most developers. From a logical and statistical perspective, the Quest 3 is the obvious choice.

[@OrangeProtogen324]

I got a Valve Index on my birthday i have been using Valve Index for a month and then it was a good

[@LegacyPixl]

Nice!

[@plsdont5688]

Honestly I want to change to 3s just because my index's right controller freaks out after a slightest vibration(warranty expired 3 years ago) or fast movement and to replace it will cost half the quest 3s which has better resolution and NO WIRES which is neat.

[@LegacyPixl]

I haven't used a 3s before, but I have heard that it is a pretty good entry headset!

[@snatcher420]

Still Using my Index in 2024 along with Quest 2...Heck If they just slapped pancake lenses on the index I buy them again. Giving them one more yr to put out another headset then will go with pimax

[@DanishSegaGamer]

I thought the PCVR experience on quest 2 and quest 3 sucked until I got a wifi 6 router directly connected to my PC. Suddenly the games ran flawless. I thought my PC was the bottleneck. It even runs more smooth than when I use a cable. (also use steamlink or Virtual Desktop)

[@parakeet10]

what are your PC’s specs? i was thinking about either getting a new q3 or a used index but i have an rx 6600 (equivalent to a 3060 if you’re an Nvidia guy) and i’m not sure if my PC is gonna like the q3’s resolution.

[@LegacyPixl]

I think that your PC will be fine tbh, I used a 3060 with a Quest 3 for a bit and it worked fine (upgraded to a 4060 recently) so as long as you have a good CPU and RAM you will be good!

[@parakeet10]

@@LegacyPixl ok thx, i have an ryzen 5 5600x so i think it should be good. i just have to upgrade my ram (16gb ddr4)

[@Dissline]

I never thought I’d hear someone complain so much about higher resolution-just lower it if it’s such a pain. The Quest 3 would still be worth it even at the price of the Index; the pancake lenses deliver a sharper image without sacrificing performance and offer a much bigger "sweet spot." However, Meta hasn’t provided optimized software for streaming on the Quest 3, so you’ll need to pay extra for third-party apps like Virtual Desktop. On the plus side, since it’s standalone and has passthrough, you can watch stuff on a cinema-sized screen and still enjoy a snack while doing it.

[@ChillinLikeADylanYT]

How do u edit ur videos and how do you get the captions

[@LegacyPixl]

I use Davinci Resolve for the editing and Capcut for the Captions!

[@ChillinLikeADylanYT]

@ is davinci resolve free

[@LegacyPixl]

It is!

[@ChillinLikeADylanYT]

@ I know I’m installing it right now (and I ALREADY made a video with the CapCut captions!)

[@Bomberzzz]

I wish the new quest controllers could be the cool index controllers.

[@lighnr]

Is ir worth to buy a used one for the immersion of the controllers though? And what is the rendering thing you have mentioned?

[@LegacyPixl]

I would say it is worth it as long as you get it for something lower than the original price as it is a five year old headset

[@djp1234]

4:12 I disagree. I'm a pixel whore. I can still easily see all the pixels on the Quest 3 and it bothers me. I can't wait to get my Pimax Crystal Super.

[@fiftytwenty]

what pcs specs you running? mainly cpu and gpu

[@LegacyPixl]

I am currently using an I7 12700 with a RTX 4070!

[@ChillinLikeADylanYT]

NGL u should make more review videos

[@LegacyPixl]

I will!

[@Kayzewolf]

This. The price is high, the specs are old, but it's still a league of quality that most headsets still fail to meet. High refresh rate, great field of view, great audio, great mic, and plug-n-play. Not perfect but all other headsets can't even meet THIS old standard. Bigscreen is close but with the higher price of just a headset with no audio (strap costs extra) and no controllers, the bad glare issues, small sweet spot on a low FoV, and also none of the other features that modern headsets have (eye tracking, FR, adjustable IPD, etc)... it's a bit of a disappointment. Great resolution bump and oled has great visuals and the included mics are even better than Index, but that's it.

[@UltimatePerfection]

I am not buying Meta Quest, because Facebook. Got any other recommendations?

[@LegacyPixl]

I would say that if you have a PC or a ps5, then the psvr2 is pretty good as you can use it with the ps5 or a PC!

[@terriblecod4player]

The index controllers are 280 dollars on steam

[@Systemicyco01]

When you didn’t realise SteamVR is now native to Meta Quest.

[@Gamma-wu2fj]

@@Systemicyco01 But it doesn't work offline.

[@digsnbones]

Steam link is epic but when your wifi is inconsistent it's not. Wired headsets will always be better then oculus pc slop tbh

[@B3asst]

For me steam link did not let me use my mic

[@digsnbones]

@@B3asst yeah it does that sometimes

[@yessking1123]

I mean... yes and no... you still have to stream your way into the headset, not only people want it to be "steamvr native" but they also refer to that as having a display port or hdmi... that's what people really want when speaking about "steamvr native"

[@Andrew-q2j7b]

i love how you said 72hz is ''almost double'' the hz of the index even though 144hz is double 72hz

[@LegacyPixl]

That's an error in the script lmao, I didn't even notice that lol. Thank you for letting me know!

[@amoula36]

will I got my son This headset in his Birthday in June 30 2019 so five years ago it good it might be really expensive but I usually use this headset for like maybe playing games with my son but my son used his headset to play video games or something with his friends because all of his friends has the valve index Anyway me and my son has decided to set up this headset to this later after I bought him this headset on his birthday because we were kind of like a lazy head so we decide to sleep for for the next two days anyway we have decided to set up the headset but the problem is we ran Some problems first of all The headset it’s not HDMI it’s actually you know the cable the long cable the black one or something it’s actually display port so my son who had a Rtx 2070 super which already has a display port so that problem out of the way but there’s another problem my son doesn’t have a USB3 he had a type C but USB2 so it was Slightly a problem but we still plugged in and it still works fine to This day anyway the headset it’s good for like the audio in the mic it’s really good for Me and my son and by the way when I get this headset my son is 17 so yeah anyway to this day I do recommend my friends to this headset because it’s pretty good but the price is expensive like I’m Canadian so I had to spend C$1299 which is a lot but is still good of a price for my and my son I do recommend This headset for people like you to buy this headset And to this day I still use this headset Yes I’m 39 years old But this headset is pretty good for me and my son I Mean hey it’s not recommend it to other people but I still recommend it to my friends and family and yeah that’s a long story that I have giving you😅😅😅

[@synqq_]

how much did you pay for ur index?

[@LegacyPixl]

Around 750 CAD lol

[@synqq_]

@@LegacyPixl damn, that to usd is about the same price of a quest 3

[@LegacyPixl]

@synqq_ Yup lol, that's why I think it is more worth it to just go for the quest 3 bc the index is almost 6 years old lol

[@Reegareth]

The Index is STILL the absolute best headset for gaming... There is really no comparison here... Yes it is becoming dated but all the other brands just aren't using the same quality for a complete package for PC gaming.

[@Shalashaska111]

Why would you use Meta's software and not the infinitely superior Virtual Desktop? Or even the free SteamLink?

[@LegacyPixl]

I use it because my wifi connection is not strong enough for wireless vr lol

[@DeadGyt]

The headset is worth 700$ brand new in my country, so im buying one this month

[@LegacyPixl]

Nice!

[@DeadGyt]

@LegacyPixl i have a quest 1, So its definitely upgrade for me, And i really dont care about standalone games nore mixed reality

[@DeadGyt]

@LegacyPixl but, thanks for the review, It really helped me think about it more

[@LegacyPixl]

@DeadGyt no worries!

[@Dracose]

Its still a beast, i wouldn't justify the prices but, damn it's good If all u care for is performance and frame rate, go with steam vr, but if u care about all those awesome features go with meta. Pretty much amd vs Nvidia at this point 😂

[@Katsuya81]

I bought a second hand on marketplace supposedly--- -But alas I got scammed

[@CyberRealmgaming]

What's the name of the game in the background

[@LegacyPixl]

The games in the background were Bonelab, Beat Saber and Vail!

[@Nobody-Nowhere]

Valve index is basically a scam at this point. Valve sells a 5-year-old outdated retro headset for 1k$. Its the last 2MP headset ever released, as industry had already moved to 4MP panels and to camera-based tracking.

[@jonass.4511]

i use meta quest 3 with valve index controllers

[@LegacyPixl]

Nice!

[@spidermonkeynr1]

Can I ask how you set that up

[@jonass.4511]

@@spidermonkeynr1 you need watchman dongles or something just google valve index controllers with quest

[@acidrain55]

Too late just brought one! 😢

[@LegacyPixl]

Nice!

[@daonebest3001]

I’m still using a rift s. Not interested in standalone. PCVR is simply better for me. Still waiting for a better PCVR headset to be released that isn’t £900

[@LancerAccelerant]

pretty sure there are leaked details of a new Valve Headset known as the Valve Deckard

[@LegacyPixl]

There are but nothing has been publicly released by Valve! (I really hope it comes out though lol)

[@KUIJEN8659]

Virtual Desktop solves all issues you have with Meta Link.

[@Bambim8]

A week after I bought it? Really? :D

[@ahkagez]

It is not worth, first the deckard are close that we think, and waste 1100€ when the quest are cheaper andd better and maybe the deckard is close

[@JustMaxior]

7 minutes and 19 secounds of video only to say 4 word sentence: „Index not worth it”

[@FBEYEVR]

0:36 for gorilla tag and for that speed boost in gtag

[@AizenVRGT]

@FBEYEVR That's not worth it. If you buy a valve index, at least play some other games than just gorilla tag. Make some content with the great microphone, or just have fun in VRchat.

[@B3asst]

The valve index does not give a speed boost it is just the difference in physics between quest and steam

[@goatsanddragons3868]

i started with index, but sadly quest is owned by META so no thx

[@_tinyttiny_]

Not bad

[@LegacyPixl]

Thank you!

[@_tinyttiny_]

@ your welcome

[@_tinyttiny_]

@ tryna play half life? 1 - 2 got all of them except alyx

[@trille_boi]

You sound like wig in the start

[@LegacyPixl]

That's crazy lol