This week Valve announced that the Index headset and other hardware can now be bought and shipped to Canada and Japan, in addition to 28 other regions.

Update (November 22st, 2019): Valve announced this week that the Index headset and other hardware is now available in Canada and Japan, making the headset available in a total of 31 countries (full list here).

Valve has a special shipping FAQ page for Canada. Shipping Index to Japan is facilitated through Valve’s partner Degica.

Index is still notably not available in some major regions like China, nor in Australia, Africa, South America, or Russia.

The new regional availability comes alongside this week’s announcement of Half-Life: Alyx.

Update (August 24th, 2019): Valve said Friday that the Index headset is now “fully in stock and shipping in all available countries!” The headset was facing a backlog of orders for some time following its launch earlier this year. Index is currently available in 30 countries, and Valve says they have plans to expand regional availability in the future.

Index is sold in several packages, the ‘full kit’ (which includes the headset, controllers, and base station trackers), a kit which includes the headset and controllers without base stations, and a standalone headset kit. While all three of these packages containing the headset are immediately available for purchase, it seems that the stock of Index controllers may still be constrained, as the standalone controller package still asks customers to ‘Reserve’ an order to be later notified of availability. Meanwhile, the standalone base station package appears to be immediately available.

Original Article (July 25th, 2019): Valve announced today that the Index ‘full kit’ (which includes the headset, controllers, and base station trackers) is ready for immediate shipping in the US. At launch, the $1,000 full kit was quickly backordered and wasn’t estimated to ship until the end of September; the company said that “initial quantities were outpaced by demand.”

The other SKUs (the headset and controllers without base stations, and individual packages of the headset, controllers, or base stations) were also backordered so far that Valve eventually stopped taking orders or offering an estimated shipping date altogether and instead asked customers to reserve their spot in line to be notified of availability. All SKUs except for the full kit and the individual base stations remain backordered with an option to reserve a spot for ordering, but Valve says they will soon have immediate availability of those as well.

Valve also expects that Index hardware will become readily available in international territories as well. Currently the headset is available in 30 countries across the US and EU (a complete list can be found here), though it isn’t clear if or when they will expand into other regions. We’ve reached out for more info.

Apparently coinciding with the increasing availability of the headset, Valve put Index front and center on the Steam store front page for all to see, with a “Get it now” call to action and a $500 advertised price (the cost of just the headset alone).

Valve said prior to Index’s launch that the headset would see a “limited initial release” to the US and EU first, and that the company would ramp up their manufacturing and expand availability based on demand; this is perhaps the first sign of that ramping process.

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Ben Lang
Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."
  • Michael Hoffmann

    SDE yes, real FOV max. 115, Controller issue, expensive yes. It’s clear it’s available. The demand is not very high.

    • Arashi

      I think literally EVERYBODY who reviewed it said it’s the best VR HMD currently out there. If demand is less than expected then that means facebook was right and that people prefer cheap-ass VR over quality

      • Heliosurge

        Considering Valve said they were going to sell OEMs Lighthoise v2.0 for $59 US. It is more expensive then it should be for a full kit.

        Valve didn’t learn from HTC when HTC was stubborn about not initially lowering price when og Rift dropped price considerably & gained at the time a decent market share. FB is again going to take a good share due to price point & ease of use. Though they were braindead not having Mech Ipd.

        • Stefan

          I’d wager their target audience are people who spend that much money on a GPU and still have enough left over for an HMD. But the backlog already resolved might point to that group being rather small or uninterested in VR. Either that, or they had alot of production capacity on stand-by.

          • aasd

            most of those people already have a high end headset like a pro or pimax so nobody is really in a rush to buy something on the higher end unless they held out. the crowd that has them all is very small

          • Heliosurge

            Indeed & most will want to see improvements on Res & FoV. If Valve had even bumped FoV to 140 with a bump in res over Vive Pro. Say 3300×1600.

          • Heliosurge

            The Biggest problem is Valve didn’t bump FoV or Res. Bumping Refresh is of course good. But for a High end headset they needed to do better.

            The Rift S also has many flaws like Only Soft Ipd. But has same Res & similar FoV. But at half the cost for a complete system. The recent updates have tracking working well & gives it a no hassle pickup & go setup & play as a huge plus. For base consumers.

          • Stefan

            I still use a CV1 and certainly won’t sidegrade to Rift S (because of tracking and audio quality). Index, however, is still looking like a good option for me, despite having to invest in a different tracking system.

          • Heliosurge

            I can understand your position especially if you have high ipd. But scroll down there is a fellow with Cv1 & Rift S. Has fired his Cv1 due to overall improvements over Cv1. Audio is a mixed bag. Often better if your an audio purist to use your own. Valve Open ear sounds good but keep in mind you’d want a dedicated space or others in the area might not approve listing to your gaming.

            Sure LH tracking is still most accurate. But Baseless tracking has come a long way & the rift s is much better than the system WMR has. I’m sure WMR tracking v2.0 will improve things similar to Rift S levels.

            For VR to move forward we need more average pc users to buy in.

            Now if you could find a cheap used og vive complete & buy the Index maybe not too bad on pocket. But still higher than average pc user.

          • Stefan

            My IPD is perfectly average, so no problem there. Camera-based inside-out-tracking will never be on-par with properly set up external tracking, and gyro-tracking still has a long way to go before playing more than an assisting role. And as long as there are HMDs with good audio, I will never buy one that has me put on separate headphones. Scraping the perfectly fine (and inexpensive to build) headphones was, in my opinion, the worst change from CV1 to S. If someone wants to replace their CV1 with S because of display quality or bad Constellation-setup, I won’t stop them, but it’s not where I would put my own money.

          • Heliosurge

            Hybrid tracking with SLAM/STEM can be. But standalone Camera tracking no.

            Simple truth we need to seperate room position tracking & body pos tracking. Much like Walkovr & Katloco.

            Cv1 constelation just not that good either tbh due to roomscaling limits.

          • Stefan

            Constellation is inferior to Lighthouse and, in terms of technical advancement, also Insight, sure. It’s basically pre-1st gen tech and not ment for roomscale in the first place, but correctly set up with three sensors it fits my 99%er city appartment just fine, better than Insight would for my usecase. I wouldn’t have trouble recommending Rift S to any VR-newcomer because of the tracking, it’s just that I can’t imagine to degrade my own user experience in a field so vital to immersion when upgrading from outdated tech.

          • Heliosurge

            Indeed. Constellation is okay for small spaces. There is actually a neat system that uses wireless Cams for scalability ease of setup & multi user enviroments. Positional tracking for users & objects. Think it’s called something like TrackerXYZ. Combine something like that with a mocap much better.

          • Heliosurge

            Now Don’t get me wrong. Oculus(FB) should have made a better Rift S. Ie they could have easily used an 18:9 Panel at 2880×1440 to have increased FoV a bit & still had options of up to 90hz. Add the mech ipd & we’d have a much better Rift S.

            That or use a screen like the Razor phone has igloo lcd QHD @120hz & HDR.

          • neodraig

            I ordered the Index Kit but sent it back.
            As most people my thumbsticks wouldn’t click properly, but the worse thing is I couldn’t care less about the improved clarity or framerate as the glare was just awful and super distracting, way worse than my CV1.
            I can’t even get a Rift S as I have a small IPD and it doesn’t have a harware IPD adjustment (not to mention the super crappy audio).
            I guess I’m stuck with my CV1 until the real next gen :-/

          • Jarilo

            They are the only RGB 2880 x 1600 at the moment. They did bump the res in a way. The FOV is also bigger, but not because of the screens but because of the lenses.

          • Heliosurge

            They didn’t bump res as there are 2160×2160 rgb panels in the Reverb. Granted don’t think at 120hz. With Valve having custom panels they could have had it bumped in Res. While Odyssy(+) & Vive Pro already has 2880×1600.

            Valve should have went bigger.

          • Jarilo

            The Reverb has nothing but issues, at this point no one counts it as a viable consumer ready product unfortunately and it’s mostly unavailable. The Pro and Odyssey are the only matching resolution but they lack RGB.

          • Heliosurge

            Reverb has design issues due to HP’s quality dropping over the years. The screens themselves are not the issue. The simple truth Valve fumbled the ball with only bumping Refresh Rate. Lcd RGB at 120hz already demonstrated by Razor Phones & those screens are higher quality featuring HDR.

            Sure Amoled not being RGB has it’s drawbacks with SDE but makes up for it in otherways. The O+ even demonstrates with it’s SDE filter works well.

            Acer with those same 2160×2160 displays will not be a Reverb fiasco. Lol

          • Immersive_Computing

            Do you have an Index?

            I ask because the secret sauce is the high refresh rate and ultra low persistence, it makes a much bigger difference than I had expected. The increased vertical FOV is very noticeable.

            It’s easy to fit badly, takes time to fit properly (sweet spot is small) but this can be locked so you’re using the elasticated side straps to don/doff.

            It’s a beast to drive at 144hz even with my RTX 2080Ti but damn it’s comfortable, excellent clarity, minimal SDE and strong presence achieved regularly. Audio is class leading BMR technology, normally found in high end hi-fi speakers.

            My controllers have the “joystick” issue so have gone to Netherlands for RMA, headset is to follow due to cable fault, it’s not all perfect but early adopter pays, as they say.

            //uploads.disquscdn.com/images/da74e7425be38e5cc25a58a93d0c6d565d81c3cba549e196abef08ae567f11b7.jpg

          • Ace of Spades

            I dont know, I got 2080Ti and I always buy the best mainstream PC parts, but Index is way too expensive, I Dont see any value in it what makes it TWICE more expensive then RIft S and using sensors is a regression for me too.

            Basically for me to say, OK i see why its twice more expensive it should of came with two full RGB OLED 1440p screens side by side for insane FOV, or soemthing like that, high resolution and super wide fov and RGB OLED, things like these, then i would of said OK, its costs twice as much for a reason.

            Or if it was as it is but with Inside out tracking and fully wireless, using latest WiFi 6 or short range WiGig.

            But the way it is, I dont see why i should pay more then twice as for Rift S and get antiquated sensor based tracking, same LCD screen but with tad higher resolution [OH and it has headphones, but I always prefer to use my own, nothing beats good Sennheiser]

          • Heliosurge

            Unfortunately though to get Oled Rgb & insane FoV combo your currently looking at 3x what the full Index Package is going for.

          • Jarilo

            It’s not actually that expensive. Specially if you factor in the higher price of the motion controllers and light house tracking. It’s only $200 more than the original base Vive released for. Too many people concentrate on the resolution specs on paper to be honest, experiencing the headset for a few months is something completely different. However, if someone is happy with the Rift S it’s a good headset and I’ve had no issues with mine, but I do see the cost cutting.

          • Bob

            “It’s not actually that expensive.”

            The whole package is expensive; there is no point in denying in it or giving Valve the benefit of the doubt.

            “It’s only $200 more than the original base Vive”

            $200 isn’t chump change at all buddy and if you had an ounce of economic sense you would clearly understand why this is the case when it comes to pricing in markets like these.

            The Oculus Rift S is a product that simply offers much more value for money; you get a lot of VR for $399 and that is for the whole package. Not only that but you benefit from their robust software ecosystem and infrastructure which is miles ahead of SteamVR at the moment.

            Look at this way; is the Valve Index more than twice as good as the Rift S? Surely you can figure that one out for yourself since you own both devices.

          • Jarilo

            Yes, I like it twice as much as my Rift-S because owning both the Rift-S is collecting dust. Going backing to the Rift-S FOV (and my Vive’s for that matter even though I still do for the wireless adapter) is a kick in the groin now. No doubt, I never argued that the Rift S is not a good bang for the money, but the Rift-S doesn’t have to offer in the package separately manufactured light houses, 3 years in development motion controllers, and over 100+ light house sensors combined between the head-set and the controllers. That’s why , my point is that there is such a difference and major disparity between the Index headset alone price and the full package. Before you question my economic sense perhaps you could get some yourself and understand that products aren’t sold in a manner where something that is 500 is twice as good as something that is 250. Is a 200k car 20 times better than a 10k car? and exactly 6.6666 times better than a 30k car? I don’t know, that is a such a strange way to look at it.

          • Bob

            The Rift S you have is collecting dust because you already have access to the Valve Index which is no doubt technologically superior and that isn’t something I’ve obviously argued against in the previous comment nor is it the argument I’m trying to make.

            The argument I’ve been trying to make that for some unknown reason you seem to have difficulty getting on board with is the fact that the Valve Index is an expensive piece of hardware, and that your own grasp of economics doesn’t actually reflect the mindset of the majority of consumers who don’t have the luxury to afford both devices. In almost all of these cases it’s either one or the other and obviously very clearly the Rift S is, without any doubt, the better value proposition.

            I’m also questioning your economic sense over your failure to understand why “only $200” more is comparable to very little as you stated here “It’s only $200 more than the original base Vive released for”. Bear in mind that the HTC Vive launched at an expensive price of over $750 and adding $200 more to the equation isn’t exactly an enticing benefit for newer users getting into VR as economically as possible which suffice to say constitutes the majority of consumers. Price is a very important aspect of purchase if you haven’t noticed this already and this is as much as knowing the value of $200 and it’s considerable worth which apparently has flown right over your head.

            The comparison I made makes sense because that’s the mentality of the average Joe consumer who doesn’t necessarily know the nitty gritty of R&D costs and manufacturing and logistics, adds to the total cost of the product in this particular market and not any other market.

          • Jarilo

            No, I think you have it wrong Bob. I understand it’s expensive, I grasped that 1k is a lot. I don’t think it’s expensive for what it is and offers however. Have I said that for the money the Rift-S isn’t a good option? no, are you trying to convince me to buy a product I already own? strange.

          • Bob

            “I understand it’s expensive, I grasped that 1k is a lot. I don’t think it’s expensive for what it is and offers however.”

            Well now you’ve just contradicted yourself here. You think it’s expensive but at the same time you think it’s not? Strange.

            “no, are you trying to convince me to buy a product I already own? strange.”

            You’re not very good at forming coherent arguments are you? Much less parsing arguments from others ;)

          • Jarilo

            Are you here to argue? is that your goal? I think you just want to argue. I think it’s expensive but worth the money, that is not a contradiction.

        • Fred

          “Considering Valve said they were going to sell OEMs Lighthoise v2.0 for $59 US.”

          lulwot

          • Fred

            To elaborate, firstly OEM does not mean that will be the retail price. You’re welcome to sign up and buy in bulk and handle all the packaging, missing parts (power packs etc), warranty, marketing etc, oh and profit off it. Secondly, that info isn’t 100% anymore as we know they have had some revisions since then.

      • Ace of Spades

        Quality? Please point me to what makes it TWICE more expensive then Rift S, what do i get TWICE as better? Twice the resolution? Twice better controllers? RGB OLED? Full Wireless?
        This thing has just tad higher resolution and thats it, fanboys will say it has better tracking, but only in rare situations AND you OK with extra cables and sensors, the future is less not more, majority of people prefer inside-out tracking and zero extra cables and sensors.
        So i dont see what makes this KIT twice more expensive.

        • Heliosurge

          One benefit Valve Index has is that it can likely use Vive Pro Wireless(so no extra cables needed). LH tracking does still at present beats Rift S Tracking.

          LHes are not tethered to a pc. Once LH v2.0 fully ready you can have a huge playspace. Yes I think hybrid IO will replace LH eventually.

          The Index also has higher Res & Refresh. Where the Rift S dropped the gold standard of 90hz & failed to maintain mechanical Ipd – Pushing it’s founder out.

        • Stefan

          Lol. You just said you bought a 2080 Ti. At twice the cost it surely delivered twice as many fps as a 2070, right? Wait, it didn’t? A tech product with non-linear price-to-performance-progression? No way!

      • Charles

        Odyssey+. And I’ve owned 9 headsets.

        The only thing about the Index that interests me is the refresh rate. But not enough to stomach the 600:1 contrast ratio.

        • Skippy76

          Dude.. It goes totally unnoticed. I tried the game Blind with it and it’s fantastic even though the game has a huge contrast demand.

        • ShaneMcGrath

          Next one shouldn’t be far off! ;)

        • alboradasa

          As someone who owns both and used to love the odyssey+, the Index is far more comfortable, audio is a huge improvement, tracking is superior, controllers are awesome, refresh rate is amazing, freedom from windows mixed reality is a bonus, and the contrast ratio is just not an issue for me. Price is high but I haven’t looked back.

          • gadgetgnome

            I have or have had the Samsung Odyssey+, Samsung Odyssey, Oculus Rift + Touch, HTC Vive, Valve Index. Of these the Valve Index i feel has the sharpest and clearest image overall, especially at 120Hz. Index SDE is definitely better than the others. It’s also the most comfortable (headset and controllers) and fits my IPD and glasses best of all of these. The only downside I complain the most about is that the glare is noticeably worse than Vive and Odyssey+. Oh and the controller Thumbstick click-in at the edges, both which I’m not happy with, but I can live with for all the other positives. DCS on Valve Index is pretty awesome with Index controllers that can interact with the aircraft cockpit controls that are fully detailed.

    • DanDei

      Or they just scaled up the production quickly.

      And what controller issue are you refering to?

      • DiGiCT Ltd

        The tumbstick press issue hahahaha.
        He does not own any of the high end VR, just talking nonsense to release his anger not being able to spend the good money on VR.

        • asdfasdfasdf

          Usually the one loudest about finances is the one with the least control over thier money. odds are youre the broke one trying to present yourself as not while others who are comfortable dont have to do that shit.

          • Could just be new money ;-)

          • DiGiCT Ltd

            Says the one who even cant write his own name……..

          • DiGiCT Ltd

            Dream on boy i dont need to control my money, just trying to think whats the next thing i would like to spoil it on.

      • Heliosurge

        Valve cheaped out on Thumbsticks. And for something of that pricepoint it should have had better quality.

        • Jarilo

          They aren’t cheap, they actually feel nice and premium. They just don’t click when the thumb-stick is pushed already in a direction.

          • Heliosurge

            Not True Quality is inconsistent. Some click & some don’t. The ones used in just about every Controller clicks in all positions. Including Valve’s Steamcontroller. It’s well documented on this quality issue. See MRTV’s Broken by design. For the price those sticks should be better.

          • Jarilo

            I’ve seen that video, MRTV is great. However I disagree again, I’m not denying that this isn’t the issue. I’m just saying that everything else about the thumb stick feels premium and very well built. I feel this is unfortunate for valve, MRTV said himself the prototype unit they sent him didn’t have this problem.

          • hydzior

            yes they’re cheap because not working properly.

    • DiGiCT Ltd

      Feel sorry for you man, you only have money for a cheap rift S…
      Wait, i dont feel sorry im having a laugh about your jealous statement :D

      • Heliosurge

        Feel sorry for those who feel need to troll.

  • Michael Hoffmann
  • Rudl Za Vedno

    I’d say that Valve’s fanboy pool has just emptied. No way can you bump up production in a month if you don’t own production and have spare capacity.

    • Jarilo

      I don’t know what that even means, it wasn’t going to be sold out forever. I bought my Rift-S on day of release with no hassle and a huge stack of them sitting there in the store, guess the Oculus fanboy pool was never full to begin with?

    • Caven

      They may very well own production. Valve built and owns the factory that makes the Steam Controller, so it’s not out of the question that they might have tooled up to build the Index headset and accessories.

      • Immersive_Computing

        Valve partner with Flex (formerly Flextronics) in Buffalo grove, Illinois. They make the base stations there, Steam controller, X Box, etc.

        Headset and controllers are China, headset assembly needs cleanroom, a contact mentioned OEM Goertek?

  • Jarilo

    Well it would eventually meet supply. Not sure what the fuss is about. I’m surprised he HMD and Knuckles stand alone are still for reserve. I have the Knuckles, I’m the reserve for the HMD. Take one out of the box and send me it Valve. lol

  • superdonkey

    LCD :(

  • Jarilo

    If it’s sold out it’s a problem because they can’t get one, if it’s not sold out and available now it’s a problem because what’s wrong with it that they can now get one? lol people are funny.

    • Charles

      “what’s wrong with it that they can now get one”
      LCD. Terrible 600:1 contrast ratio.

      • All headsets are trade-offs. Reviews have been incredibly positive so this is obviously not a deal-breaker for most. Have you tried it or are you basing this on paper specs?

        • Charles

          Basing it on having owned two other high-end LCD headsets, and reading that the contrast ratio spec is at least as bad as those.

          • Nick Wallace

            So, basing on Paper Spec thens…

      • Jarilo

        My main headset is the Vive Pro (because wireless), and I do love the rich and wonderful colors of the OLED. However, I also own a Rift-S ( I am waiting on the Index HMD to become available on it’s own ) and the pixel fill rate from the RGB nearly closes the gap between 1600p and 1440p, that’s pretty incredible. Combine that low persistent and more options for refresh rates I think I understand why Valve went with LCD. I can’t comment on the contrast ratio, haven’t used the headset yet.

        • Charles

          Yeah, I compared an RGB 1440p Pimax 5K+ to a 1600p Vive Pro and the SDE was about the same (though different pattern). But the 1600p OLED Odyssey+ with its SDE-filter has similar SDE to the 2160p Reverb.

          The only benefit to extra-low persistence is to enable higher refresh rates. Which is a good thing, but the contrast ratio really kills immersion and enjoyability for me.

          • Adrian Meredith
          • Charles

            Based on that picture, and on my side-by-side testing in real life, the SDE is about the same amount, but a different pattern. I actually though it was MORE noticeable on the 5K+ in some situations, because it’s easier to see solid straight lines than the broken-up pattern of Pentile.

          • asf

            i see more sde on the 5k+ here than any other

      • Skippy76

        You must be one of them facebook fangirls.
        So upset that you cant get a decent upgrade from oculus at this point….

    • Steven Daniels

      Manufacture process scaling is a very expensive venture if there’s failure. HTC was invited in with Valve to help get this to market and learn some tricks from each-other. Seems HL3 was the secret all along

  • Chris Omega

    Any clarification on what “international territories” means?

    • hydzior

      Europe

  • tenshi7angel

    No shipping to Australia. :'(

    • Hivemind9000

      Yup… still. I have no idea why they can’t/won’t ship it here.

      • skn

        Nor any shipping to Norway.

        • Harald Heide Gundersen

          Use big apple buddy
          with questions,
          email: hello@bigapplebuddy.com

          • skn

            Unecessarily pricy for no reason, I also imagine claiming waranties etc would be an absolute nightmare if it ever came to that, just not worth it. Not to mention the import tax. A $300 controller set suddenly turns into a $500 one, yeah no thanks.

            $300 for the index, $50 for the service, shipping would be at least an additional $50, import tax is cost of unity + shipping(which also as it’d not be traced to the individual unit would include the service charge), there by it’d be 400 + 25% = exactly $500. Compared to $300 if Valve actually sold it here through a retailer(no shipping as I’d just go to the store and pick it up).

            Infact because they use DHL odds are the shipping would be around $75, DHL is unecessarily expensive.

      • 1234WARMANNNN

        Guess I’m getting an Oculus still.

      • Brad B

        Probably because of Australia’s price and tax, the htc vive in Australia is expensive af, the valve index in America is $999usd which would be like $1600aud, htv vive pro is like $2200 aud, so I’m guessing the Australia trade hasn’t got a value for Australia’s index yet because it’s better then the htc vive pro?

        • Hivemind9000

          It isn’t any different to any other electronic product that ships here (or anywhere else in the world). They only have to allow it to ship here, not much else really.

  • Ghosty

    When shipping to Canada??

    • Arcticu Kitsu

      Curious as well because my Oculus Rift seems to be at its end of the life. “No HMDI Connection” errors constantly that its turning into a paper weight. Lasted me since December 2017. Wanting to seek out the Index out of curiousity.

    • kuhpunkt

      Now.

  • Alex

    And still no actual news reports on what seems to be fairly wide spread faulty controllers issue,they say it may not click in certain directions, surely it should or
    shouldn’t so that equals a fault, they say it should still work in all
    directions, for some it does, some it doesn’t, some some have to push
    really hard so that is a FAULT

    • Immersive_Computing

      Yes the news blackout is odd. I like playing Arizona Sunshine and Dreadhalls and didn’t like being unable to sprint forward, my stick had no actuation in that position. Controllers shipped back to Netherlands last night for replacement, valve are handling it well. Now just waiting on RMA for headset which has a cable problem.

      • Alex

        “Yes the news blackout is odd” seems no news site wants to say a bad word about valve, if it was a facebook issue they would be all over it

        • Immersive_Computing

          Yes very strange how roadtovr and uploadvr have not reported, it’s been all across the index Reddit for weeks. The main complaint has been joystick issue on controllers, but also headset defects.

          Valve are arranging “advanced replacement” for my Index headset so they will ship replacement before my faulty headset is returned. It’s great to see that Valve are responding and taking ownership, perhaps this could be reported, it’s welcome after the debacle that was HTC customer service.

  • Probably they partnered with a Chinese manufacturer to speed up the process

    • Immersive_Computing

      Flex in Buffalo Grove, Illinois for base stations

      Goertek in Shenzhen, China for headset and controllers

  • y_m_o

    I was definitely thinking of picking up the knuckle controllers to replace my old vive wands, but a little concerned regarding all these QA issues I keep hearing. Also would like to ask users of the Index, is it a justified replacement for the original vive? people are talking a lot about the aspect ratio. Honest opinions please. Would value your comments! cheerz

  • hydzior

    Dont do it. Controllers are still flawed (analog sticks).

    • aasdfa

      mines not….

  • JB1968

    Won’t buy this overpriced low quality product. These companies like Valve or Facebook got rich on sw/ads and are begginers in producing real hardware stuff but want high end prices for us.

    • sjefdeklerk

      I bought the kit. I don’t care too much about the controllers, I liked the original Vive wands just as good. BUT the headset, that’s really a different story. I have most of the headsets but this just beats them all, quite easily actually. Sure, my 5k+ has a bigger FoV and my Reverb higher resolution but overall the Index is by far the best VR experience possible at the moment in my opinion.

      • wcalderini

        Agree. Have the Vive Pro, Pimax 5k, Rift S, Odyssey Plus, (and some others, Original Rift, Original Vive, PSVR, and Oculus Quest), but, by far, the best total experience so far is the Index. It’s not the overt things but the subtle ones. Brightness, responsiveness, clarity, and overall fit and feel as well. Not mentioned much here yet is the comfort. Easily the most comfortable IMO of all currently shipping high end HMDs. I have recently purchased the 3D printed Mods for the Pimax 5k though, and I’m going to be using my original deluxe Audio strap with that, along with the new Index controllers, to see if I can Frankenstein my way to the ULTIMATE VR experience. LOL. Am running an i9 9600K, 32GB 3200mhz Ram and a 2080ti, so I should be able to crank up the variables and see how it all plays out. (although I am using the original Vive base stations)
        As you can tell. I’m a bit of an enthusiast. And for all the FB haters out there, the Rift S is a pretty good headset. Sometimes we have to look beyond specs, and one thing Oculus has nailed is the ecosystem and convenience factor, and THAT is going to go a LONG way towards making VR the breakout new experience it so deserves to be.
        Still optimistic. We have not even scratched the surface of the entertainment capabilities of VR in regards to sporting, live events, and just a completely different medium for creativity in general..

        My prediction? Sony will end up eating everybody’s lunch eventually. Not only did they deliver a VERY capable VR system on substandard specs, the also have the fan base, the sales (4 million and counting), and the developers to really make this thing fly. I can’t wait to see what they are going to be able to accomplish with the PS5 specs I’m seeing, and if they nail the wireless approach that their patents suggest they are pursuing, they may end up owning the game.(With decent controllers)

        But for right now, IMO, if you have the means, the Index is the way to go. If you are on a bit of a budget, the rift S is the best bang for the buck out there. For TOTAL experience. Others score big around the edges and WMR has great potential if they get their tracking shit together.

        Just my 2 cents.

        WRC

        • JB1968

          Thank for your overview. You are surely big vr enthusiast. I’m waiting on Sony to reveal the PS5+PSVR2 combo. Then I’ll decide if to stay with Sony or go PCVR route. Hope there will be better PCVR model than Index at that time. So far I’m good with the OG PSVR+PS4pro combo I got since day 1 in 2016.
          OT It’s just funny that many people who hated VR are now buying Index+$2kPC rig just to play HL:Alyx game that was not released yet. But who care. If that helps VR industry to become mainstream then all is good;-)

  • Peyton Lind

    But not Canada or Australia. What a clown show company. I’m glad I lost interest in the Index (mainly because I got a Quest and untethered VR with the ability to play anywhere means I can’t ever go back to being shackled to my computer and having a smaller play area) as this would annoy me given I’m in Canada.

    I do have to thank Valve because had it been available to Canada from the start, I would have reluctantly spent the cash on it and probably wouldn’t have got a Quest and that would have been a mistake. I’ve used my Quest more in 3 months than I did my Rift in 3 years. That’s how much better being untethered and playing anywhere I want is to me.

    • George Ouimet

      Same here. Was dying to buy this. Now I’m done. They can go F#$K themselves. Definitely not handing them my money now.

  • Ghosty

    Seriously still not shipping to Canada? WTF Valve! We are literally right next door!

  • Jonathan Winters III

    They insulted Canadians by not offering the product for order – and not responding appropriately to my email inquiry. Won’t be buying.

    • oompah

      Solution to too much whitte ego
      Fentanyl hah ha chinese cure

      • asshat

        racist much?

  • oompah

    U need a serious PC with this
    No way
    waiting for a standalone

    • Arcticu Kitsu

      No you don’t…. I have a dated computer able to run VR nicely. I mean, a ‘decent’ computer is required. People over-exagerate a lot. Go play with the Oculus Quest then.

  • I want to know who at the various VR blogs is on Valve’s payroll. Something is obviously going on when the Index controllers have been shipping broken for months now and there has been total silence from the ‘journalists’ reviewing these things.

    Who’s getting paid? Say it. Spill it. Because this is looking really bad and a putrid air is wafting out of blogville.

    Arrogant silence is not a sufficient answer either.

    • asshat

      oh boi this hedge has cracked the conspiracy!

      • Whatever. I think it’s basically lack of interest rather than a ‘conspiracy.’ Or lack of effort. Or lack of initiative. Or lack of journalism skills.

        If you write repeatedly about a thing that’s broken and never mention that, then something clearly is not working somewhere.

        • asshat

          and get sued for slander… I agree with you mostly but youre also acting like its valve conspiring against their fans when its really just them being idiots. Its not broken its just designed bad, if people printed that it was broken when it wasn’t theyd be lying.

          • I have consistently used the word ‘broken’ in my career when something doesn’t work. It seems to get the desired results. When I say ‘It’s broken,’ it usually gets fixed.

            Most of the people I work with are above 4 years of age so they understand this.

          • asshat

            derp.. dis broken…. derp fix for me or else derp derp….. thats what you sound like. especially when you try to get condescending and relate what you say to a 4 year olds understanding. That might work for you and all the four year olds you talk to but here but you dont have to be an asshole because you dont like how something was DESIGNED. I hate the design as well and still want to own one, but at least im not on here bitching and saying everything broken like a spoiled kid for attention.

          • You aren’t correct. Firstly, ‘derp’ has no meaning

            Secondly, condescension to weak journalism and weak product quality control is perfectly appropriate and is in fact a rather mild response to such things.

            Thirdly, yes, my approach works even with 40-year-olds.

            Fourthly, the product wasn’t ‘designed’ to be faulty and to fail rather randomly. You don’t ‘design’ a car to lose the ability to shift gears randomly in some units and not others.

            That’s typically called broken where I come from.

            Fifthly, yes, I am an asshole. You cannot even imagine. On that point you are correct. And it isn’t in my interest to stop being one. So onward I go with the bitching. Adapt to me, because I won’t to you.

            Sixthly, if you hate the design and still want to own one you are somewhat unusual in your decision-making process.

          • asshat

            haha you win, I couldn’t help but laugh at that response.

            I still think its a design choice and even if you dont like it that doesnt mean its broken. but whatever that was a fun response.

          • I am having some fun. Anyway, I want to buy one too. But I’m waiting.

          • asshat

            i finally bought one and love it!

  • RockstarRepublic

    The demand is there… the quality levels might not be. Been hearing too many horror stories as of late. Poor LCD panels, bad black levels, controllers defective…ect
    At this point the Oculus headsets are offering far more for far less, which means the competition has to step up its game in order to prevent facebook from having too much influence in the VR arena.

    • aasdfa

      quest for mobile
      index for tethered
      its that simple but youre also right

      • RockstarRepublic

        The quest threw a curve ball with the ability to have tethered as well. So wireless and tethered all in one. One USB-C cable connection with camera tracking built into the headset itself. The Rift-S is also a tethered version of it. Both sets running for $399.

        Out of all the headsets I have used so far, these seem to be the most polished.

        Spec wise, the Index takes the cake but the investment is high and the QA is low. Its going to be a tough market for the Index atm.

        • aasdfa

          exactly! i use the index and the quest lol i wasnt able to get them both at the same time but eventually and its just the best combo. Games liek rec room are amazing cause i can let a friend use my quest while i use the index. this is the future

  • George Ouimet

    Wow.. Croatia but not Canada, your F-ing next door neighbor. Go F$%K yourself Valve.

  • Martin

    they are shipping to denmark and sweden but ofc not norway ))):

  • james costello

    think it’s got to do with the australian consumer laws if it breaks in a year of perches you get a refund or a free replacement by law. then thy have to ship it fully working to australia or loose to much money …. may be ?

  • thenic123

    Road to VR, can you ask Valve point blank,
    “You shipping Index to Canada and Australia, Yes or No?”

  • 3872Orcs

    Norway? This is good news though especially for Canada and Japan. But there’s a lot of people wanting Index over here in Norway now after reveal of Half Life: Alyx.

  • MW

    Yeah.. Sure. HMD for a price of two PS5:) Careful Valve – crowds are trampling stores:)))

  • Bamux

    Or buy a cheap WMR Headset, a used Rift Cv1 (are now very cheap to have while many users switch to Oculus Quest+Link) and have the fun of your life in VR :)

    • iThinkMyCatIsAFlea

      Nah. I’ll wait until someone mods it for kb+m.

      • Bamux

        150-200 dollar for a cheap VR Headset is worth it meanwhile there are also really great Triple A games like Asgard’s Wrath, Stormland or Lone Echo that you can play. Playing in VR is a completely different experience.

      • aasdfa

        youre just a poor whiny lil bitch lol everyone on here can afford some headset at this point. vr is the new way to game weather youre on board or not. the more you sit here a bitch like a 5 year old the more we believe youre just a 5 year old.

        oh yeah youre the troll account thats right…. i hope you die of cancer!

        • aasdfa

          whether

        • iThinkMyCatIsAFlea

          “vr is the new way to game”

          Developers said that with Kinect and the Wii. Yet people are still gaming on pc with kb+m.

          • Arcticu Kitsu

            Go try out a VR then you won’t be making those ignorant postings. This isn’t Kinect, nor the Wii stuff. Its its own beast….. Its nto 3D TVs, or Wii motes stuck on 3D TVs….. VR is VR, and its something genuinely special.

            Its your loss though, not ours.

          • Arcticu Kitsu

            This and that do not equate with one another. They’re not the same. Not our fault you can’t comprehend something so simple.

          • aasdfa

            they also said that GPU’s were the way to game and people complained.
            Heck they even said the mouse was the way to navigate a pc and people originally thought they were crazy. However nobody but you disagrees with vr being the new way to game.

        • Zantetsu

          Dude, it’s one thing to disagree with the poster. I don’t even know what they said because I have them blocked so they must be a tool, and I’m not surprised if they said something lame.

          But stop it with the “I hope you die” crap. It is unpleasant to read.

          • aasdfa

            its because hes just here to troll and not even have a good conversation. if you’re that sore over me saying clearly absurd and impractical insults to people then i feel bad for you.

            its nice to remind trolls that they’re hated, this shouldn’t be a comfortable or tolerant zone for trolls messing things up.

          • iThinkMyCatIsAFlea

            I’m not the troll, aasdfa.

          • Zantetsu

            You can join him in my blocklist. Good bye and good riddance!

  • iThinkMyCatIsAFlea

    Their reasons for not developing Half-Life: Alyx for mouse and keyboard are nonsense. Have a listen @9:10

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9K0eJEmMEw&app=desktop

    • aasdfa

      the reason was theyd have to water down the VR game and its interaction to accommodate the inputs of the keyboard and the interactions there and it would hurt both experiences. Dont half ass two things whole-ass one thing.

      They had a great reason and even took the time to explain why and yet here you are trying to be a troll. go choke on your moms dick

      • iThinkMyCatIsAFlea

        Their excuses for not developing a kb+m version came down to, ‘The kb+m version wouldn’t have all the vr interactions. Things like, opening and closing doors’. What bloody nonsense!

        • Greyl

          Nah, this level of minute 3D interaction objectively couldn’t work with KB+M, the controls would be even more clunky than Surgery Simulator.

          • iThinkMyCatIsAFlea

            Watch the video again. David Speyrer is noticeably uncomfortable discussing the lack of a kb+m version of this game.

            Apart from the lack of a standard pc version, who the hell wants to come home from work, have food, bath/shower and then roll around on the bloody floor playing Half-Life: Alyx?

          • you’re projecting

            And also multi-posting your irrational whines.

          • iThinkMyCatIsAFlea

            How about commenting on the topic?

            Do you enjoy getting sweaty playing video games after work?

          • Brian Brown

            I play VR almost everyday. The only time I come remotely close to sweating is when I play hard levels of Beat Saber for extended periods. Otherwise, no sweating involved playing VR.

            Pro Tip: Don’t crank the heat right before starting a VR session.

          • aasdfa

            pro tip: not everyone perspires the same, like at all.

            Im a pretty fit mid 20s guy, im not in shape but i still eat pretty healthy and get regular exercise and I just sweat a lot. I can only do a few expert+ songs before i need to take a break so sweat isnt dripping on my headset and me. i just sweat, and it sucks for vr haha

          • Greyl

            Who cares what his body language was like in an interview. This game’s mechanics are not doable without VR; it would be too clunky to control.

            You people keep asking for a VR killer app, and here it is, and it made the most sense to be Half Life, because of the game’s use of physics and object interaction. The game, “Bone Works” when first shown off a year ago was called “Half Life VR”, well now Valve is making the real Half Life VR.

        • Arcticu Kitsu

          What the hell is wrong with you?! Stop being salty damn it. You say its “opening and closing doors”…. Dude, have you even played with VR? Its what you see in VR that makes it special that once you go VR its hard to go back.

          You see things as if you’re actually there, you interact in a more unique and free way. So yeah, it makes sense why they want to go VR… its hard to downscale while also making it “just another game”. People can’t comprehend that.

          Sorry, but its better as a VR game.

        • Nick Wallace

          If you don’t understand something like how difficult doors actually are in Video Games I suggest you go educate yourself before trying to pretend you have any clue about game design.

          No seriously, go google “Video games, the door problem” and then try to consider it in VR and how the mechanics of levels would have to be entirely redesigned for keyboard and mouse because of something simple like only being able to have a door all the way open or all the way closed… And that’s just freaking doors!

  • aasdfa

    lol cant afford 900$ maybe try not being a broke as lil bitch. I know a lot of people who dont even try hard in life that can afford one, so what are you doing with your life? probably drinking and gambling away the little money you have from barely working a job in a first place.

    it must suck to be broke like you, maybe get a job

  • Foreign Devil

    If you just buy the Index headset alone. . can you do anything with it? It won’t have tracking without base station right?

    • aasdfa

      correct you need the base stations to use it at all, but you can use vives original stations with it

    • Immersive Computing

      You need at least 1 base station, preferably 2.

  • Arcticu Kitsu

    Valve can make a standard PC version for Half-Life Alyx, and that’s ‘Half-Life 2’. BAM! That’s the only advancements in gaming you’ll get PC side.

    I’m seeing Kinect used a lot in VRchat. It may not be popular, it’s however being used. As with Wii related stuff. Out of sight, out of mind, but not dead.

    Oh, they do what you claimed people don’t. You need to check out Beat Saber tweets and various other Beat Saber clone games. Synth Riders, among others. People also relax in a game called VRchat (in VR) for 5+ hours. You can be as relaxed or as energetic as you desire.

    Yes, you can play with a mouse and keyboard as well, but thats still nto going desktop mode. Its various forms of devices and inputs. Subnautica does this because the developers chickened out while other indie and AAA game companies are going further than them. Don’t believe me? Look at the games released.

    You can be in denial all you want, VR is here to stay. No Ifs, and’s, or but’s about it. Facts don’t care about your feelings.

    But yeah, you can simply play Half-Life 2 because that’s your “standard PC Version” of the game. If you want Alyx in PC you’re going to have it stripped of all its charm. No joke. Think about it a bit please.

  • Arcticu Kitsu

    You’ve lost it. You’ve completely lost it. But yeah, you do not need a computer and VR headset to enjoy a game. Same with consoles, but we have them. We have them because we can relax and play in our own playstyle.

    Your loss, not mine. I’ve had so much fun in VR so this is your loss.

  • hiddenhollow

    need shipping to israel

  • Josua

    Americans & Europeans: Why the hell is it sold out?!
    Me in Indonesia: You guys can even get that damn thing to your country?

  • MrDL

    Nothing to Norway…. :(

    • asdf

      sorry :( i hope you get it soon

    • Foorack

      Not participating in the EU and the common customs zone makes deliveries/international shipping more difficult, due to extra administrative work. Considering the extra customs fees of importing into Norway from Netherlands, and the extra bureaucracy, it’s easier not to ship at all.

      • MrDL

        That’s simply not true. It’s not extra administrative work, at least not anymore since Norway has instigated a new law that fees are to be paid up front via the store during purchase. It’s opened up for a much easier and better experience.

        Besides, if what you are saying was the case, we wouldn’t be able to buy anything and no one would sell to us. Yes costs are higher, but that falls on the customer paying more. And we are willing to do so.

  • JesperL

    I have it, and can only recommend it. Im very happy with my index.
    Looking forward to HL-Alyx :D

    • John McDonald

      How long did you have to wait? Waiting on processing now. thanks

      • JesperL

        Wait for what? my index to arrive? – I was in the first batch order, so I got it a few days after release.

  • Just a random guy

    wtf, you fuckers sell to sweden denmark and finland but not norway? fuck you valve

    • aasdfa

      im sure if it was a similar process they would. Norway must have some strange regulation or tax idk but i really doubt valve just said lets screw norway

  • Rupert Jung

    If they release a version with camera-based inside-out tracking, I’m in. :)

  • brubble

    1500+ cnd?…meh, with tech that still isnt quite “there”. Next!

  • Cedric

    What does Vive say about Switzerland?

  • Odd Sushi Paper

    Sweden and Denmark but ofc not Norway :(

    • Foorack

      Because Norway is not part of the EU. Not participating in the common customs zone creates extra administrative work, and at that point it’s easier not to ship it at all, demand is sufficient anyway, and it’s not like they have extra supply…

  • Norinator

    welp no shipping to norway rip

  • Tomas Sandven

    Sooo… No plans for Norway then? The fuck did we ever do to you, Valve?

    • Foorack

      You’re not in the EU customs zone, therefore requiring extra administrative work.

      • Tomas Sandven

        And how long can that possibly take? :(

        Or perhaps it’s just not worth doing.

        • Foorack

          It’s just not worth doing. AFAIK Valve is still not even shipping the Steam Controller to Norway, after many years of availability.
          Demand of the Index is already much higher than supply, they can’t even supply the markets they are currently operating in. Norway is a very small market so the priority selling there is low. That’s one of the disadvantages of staying outside the EUCU.

  • Dave Whitla

    Australian consumers buttfucked as usual. 2 years late and twice the price would be par for the course.

  • Yuukio

    Why can’t you please deliver to norway :(

  • Yuukio

    I will buy it right away if u ship to Norway ;I

  • Yuukio

    Why not Norway this is so sad :'(

  • Yuukio

    What did us norwegians do to not be able to to get it? its just a bit longer than sweden!

  • lamia

    what about Israel? why is it so slow and mostly avaible on english countries!! :C

  • Michael Gillette

    Why is there no shipping to NZ!!!! Is it illegal to import Valve Index from another country say US to NZ? Can I get it from doing so????