Device hub · VR / spatial · Desk research
Valve Index
Index remains the installed-base PCVR flagship people own.
Product images
Placeholder — OEM press not licensedValve Index
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not a Valve asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
In short
Index remains the installed-base PCVR flagship people own. Do not invent 108° or 130°. Controllers and base stations are separate Steam SKUs. Indexed Steam store this pass: headset $499, headset+controllers $749, full kit $999.
Who it is for
- PC VR users who already have or will buy SteamVR base stations and want Valve’s RGB LCD / 144 Hz / off-ear speaker stack.
- Owners asking whether to keep Index or add Quest 3 / Beyond 2 / PS VR2-on-PC — this hub only describes Index.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who needs a published FOV in degrees. Valve refused a single number; we will too.
- Standalone shoppers. Index requires a PC, DisplayPort (not HDMI), USB 3.0, and base stations.
- People who think the $499 headset is a full room-scale kit.
Key differentiators
- 1440×1600 RGB LCD per eye; 80/90/120/144 Hz; 0.330–0.530 ms persistence (Valve).
- FOV described only as 20° more than HTC Vive for typical users, plus canted 5° optics.
- IPD 58–70 mm physical; eye relief; off-ear 37.5 mm BMR speakers; Frunk USB-A.
Caveats
- Do not invent 108° / 130° FOV from reviews.
- Steam prices go stale; date store.steampowered.com/valveindex/.
- Headset grams are not on the Valve headset page.
- HDMI is not supported (Steam Index system requirements).
VR-category specs
Same rows on every headset hub (Vision Pro, Quest, Galaxy XR, PICO, PS VR2). FOV, weight, and battery cells quote the manufacturer footnote — they are not lab measurements.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Display type | Dual 1440×1600 LCDs, full RGB per pixel, ultra-low persistence global backlight (0.330 ms at 144 Hz) | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Display resolution | 1440 × 1600 per eye | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Refresh rate (OEM) | 80 / 90 / 120 / 144 Hz. Valve also says it runs at 120 Hz with full back-compatibility to 90 Hz, plus experimental 144 Hz | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Field of view (OEM claim) | Not a single official degree. “20° more than the HTC Vive for typical users.” Dual-element canted lenses; displays cant outward 5° | valvesoftware.com Index headsetDo not invent 108° or 130°. |
| Optics / lenses | Double-element, canted lens design; eye-relief adjustment | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Chip / processor | No headset SoC. Steam Index PC floor: dual-core with hyperthreading or better. | store.steampowered.com/valveindex |
| RAM / unified memory | PC: 8 GB+ (Steam Index requirements). Not a headset RAM SKU | store.steampowered.com/valveindex |
| On-device storage | None (PC VR) | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Operating system | Windows 10, SteamOS, or Linux (Steam Index requirements). SteamVR | store.steampowered.com/valveindex |
| Tracking | SteamVR 2.0 sensors; compatible with SteamVR 1.0 and 2.0 base stations. Base stations not in the headset-only box | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Controllers | Not in the headset-only SKU. Steam sells Index Controllers ($279/pair indexed) and a $749 headset+controllers bundle | Steam Valve Index store (indexed) |
| Other input | Front expansion “Frunk” USB 3 Type-A; dual microphone array | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| PC / console tether | Required. 5 m tether, 1 m breakaway trident: USB 3.0, DisplayPort 1.2, 12 V. Steam: HDMI not supported. Available DisplayPort required | valvesoftware.com Index headset; Steam Index requirements |
| IPD | 58–70 mm physical adjustment | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Weight | Not published | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Passthrough / see-through | Stereo 960×960 global-shutter RGB cameras “enabling applications like high-quality stereo pass-through.” Experimental / developer-facing wording — not Quest-style color MR | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Eye tracking | Not listed | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Battery — headset (OEM) | Tethered; 12 V on the trident. No headset-hour row | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Battery style | PC/wall tethered | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Charging (OEM) | Headset power supply in the kit. Controllers charge via USB (bundle/kit) | Steam Index kit contents (indexed) |
| Audio | 37.5 mm off-ear BMR; 40 Hz–24 kHz; 6 Ω; 98.96 dBSPL at 1 cm; 3.5 mm aux. Dual mic array | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Wireless | Not a wireless headset on the cited page | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Glasses / prescription | Eye-relief adjustment. Valve does not print a “glasses compatible” checkbox on this page | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Platform / account lock | Steam / SteamVR. Valve: content is hardware-agnostic on Steam | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Age / intended use (OEM) | Not stated as a minimum age on the headset page. Steam store has a California Prop 65 warning on base-station materials | store.steampowered.com/valveindex |
| US list price (dated) | Steam indexed 2026-09-19: kit $999; headset+controllers $749; headset $499; controllers $279; base station $149 each | store.steampowered.com Valve Index listings |
| Price band | PC VR — $499 visor, ~$999 room-scale kit | Steam Index store |
| Announced / introduced | 2019 Index; still a live Valve product page in 2026 | valvesoftware.com |
| Availability | A la carte on Valve’s site and Steam. Headset app page this re-fetch: estimated delivery 6–10 business days. store.steampowered.com/valveindex snippets also showed 3–5 business days the same day — date the URL; do not flatten | store.steampowered.com/app/1059530; store.steampowered.com/valveindex |
Valve Index extras
Unique to this line or SKU. Other headsets keep the first table aligned and swap this extras list.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Canted optics | Displays cant outward 5° (Valve) | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Cameras | Stereo 960×960 global shutter RGB (Bayer) | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Front expansion | USB 3 Type-A “Frunk” | valvesoftware.com Index headset |
| Full kit (Steam, indexed) | Headset + cable + PSU + cradle adapter + gasket + 2 controllers + 2 base stations + stands/cables. Half-Life: Alyx with headset or controller items | Steam Index kit listing |
Overview
Index is still a first-class hub. New hardware does not retire this URL. Lighthouse peers: /vr/htc-vive/, /vr/htc-vive-pro-2/, /vr/bigscreen-beyond-2/. HTC’s original VIVE table prints 110° — adding Valve’s “20° more” to that cell and writing 130° here is invented. This page keeps the relative sentence only.
FOV (the important non-number)
Valve optimized FOV by moving optics closer, IPD, eye relief, dual-element lenses, and 5° cant. The only quantitative FOV sentence is 20° more than HTC Vive for typical users. Reviews that print 108° or 130° are not this page.
Kit vs visor
Date Steam (re-fetch 2026-09-19): $499 / $749 / $999; controllers $279/pair. Delivery copy disagrees by URL (6–10 on the headset app page vs 3–5 on some /valveindex snippets). Controllers and 2.0 base stations are separate unless you buy the kit.
Sources
- Valve — Index headset — accessed 2026-09-19
- Steam — Valve Index store — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
What is the FOV in degrees?
Valve does not publish one official degree on the headset page. It says typical users get 20° more than the HTC Vive. We will not invent 108° or 130°.
Is HDMI OK?
Steam’s Index requirements say HDMI is not supported. You need DisplayPort.
Does $499 include base stations?
No. That is the headset SKU. The $999 kit is the one with two base stations and controllers (Steam, dated this pass).
Official product page: Valve Index. Specs: Valve Index specs.