Valve Index.

[Tenshi]

Been thinking about getting a new headset and wondered if anyone had any experience with the Valve Index and what its like ? I know it has a better refresh rate than the Vive Pro which is what I have right now and really like it.
Read reviews about the HP reverb and was put off by their take on lengthy set up and problems with software. Tried the Rift S although its nice I found the screen to be a bit washed out with colours when compared to the Vive Pro.

Anyone had any experience with the Index?

 

[aXeL]

Been thinking about getting a new headset and wondered if anyone had any experience with the Valve Index and what its like ? I know it has a better refresh rate than the Vive Pro which is what I have right now and really like it.
Read reviews about the HP reverb and was put off by their take on lengthy set up and problems with software. Tried the Rift S although its nice I found the screen to be a bit washed out with colours when compared to the Vive Pro.

Anyone had any experience with the Index?

Just curious - lengthy setup? And what software? The Reverb is WMR compliant, it doesn't use any special software to get it working. I just plugged mine in and Windows autostarted WMR Cliffhouse ( Although I switched to the rooftop apartment because I like pasting giant browsers all over the place and placing my launch icons in the middle of rooms ). Over time I've tinkered with it but there was no setup process for me, much less a lengthy one.

If controllers are your thing, go with the Index. If you want the nearest you'll see to actually looking at a monitor - get the Reverb. You'll wonder how you ever managed with a Vive Pro.

 

[heman86]

dont know about the reverb but I went from a vive( which i rarely used) to a index (used it for 300h+)
its a big improvement. better visual, better sound, better comfort, screendoor effect almost gone.

the only bad things is the glare and that you currently have to wait 8 week for shipping.

costumer support is also really good from valve. I ordered my index with the first wave (may 2019), after ~1 year I had a dead pixel and valve immediately shipped me a new one.

 

[aXeL]

dont know about the reverb but I went from a vive( which i rarely used) to a index (used it for 300h+)
its a big improvement. better visual, better sound, better comfort, screendoor effect almost gone.

the only bad things is the glare and that you currently have to wait 8 week for shipping.

costumer support is also really good from valve. I ordered my index with the first wave (may 2019), after ~1 year I had a dead pixel and valve immediately shipped me a new one.

Where do you see glare? Either I'm tolerant of it or it can be dialled out. If the latter, maybe we can sort it for you

 

[davinator791]

There's some lens flare when looking at bright stars, but other than that, no complaints apart from getting sick when driving the SRV (there's an option for horizon camera lock but it's not enough). Colors seems a bit washed out, the background is not black enough but I use default settings so there's room for improvement, details are crisp. I don't regret getting an Index, overall it makes me feel I'm inside the ship and I like it, haven't even used it for any other game. I suggest trying a VR headset from a friend if you can.

 

[Ganogati]

Tried the Rift S although its nice I found the screen to be a bit washed out with colours when compared to the Vive Pro.

This is a give and take. I had a conversation about this with another user here a few days ago and they got me really looking into it; the Vive Pro is beautiful, and the LCD screens on the Rift S and other newer headsets really do look washed out in comparison. HOWEVER, the purty colors come at a cost. There is more of a "screen door effect" with OLED headsets than with the LCD ones, and you lose a lot of clarity. Looking at some of the comparison pictures, it can be really evident.

I actually am upgrading here soon to a higher res/FOV headset (Pimax), and I've found that I'm more amenable to the idea of going with the washed out LCD display in order to get that extra clarity.

So, basically: I wouldn't look at the Rift S as a net loss over the Vive Pro. There are pros and cons. Another possible pro is that given how freaked out folks were about the effects of LED tvs on our eyes, I can't imagine it's doing me any good to smoosh 2 LED screens right up on my eyeballs for long periods of time... I'm sure my future eyesight is about to thank me for the switch to LCD again lol

 

[heman86]

Where do you see glare? Either I'm tolerant of it or it can be dialled out. If the latter, maybe we can sort it for you

sry my mistake, I meant flar not glare

 

[88flak]

Put a pair of gear vr lenses in your vive pro. youll have a picture close to a reverb. zero glare . no washed out colors and an extremely huge sweet spot.
honestly its like a whole new head set after the swap.

 

[Evang]

Just curious - lengthy setup? And what software? The Reverb is WMR compliant, it doesn't use any special software to get it working. I just plugged mine in and Windows autostarted WMR Cliffhouse ( Although I switched to the rooftop apartment because I like pasting giant browsers all over the place and placing my launch icons in the middle of rooms ). Over time I've tinkered with it but there was no setup process for me, much less a lengthy one.

If controllers are your thing, go with the Index. If you want the nearest you'll see to actually looking at a monitor - get the Reverb. You'll wonder how you ever managed with a Vive Pro.

I almost purchased the reverb, I liked everything I read about it. Except one thing, the IPD. mine is 70 and I fear that it would not work for me. What are your thoughts on this?

 

[CylonSurfer]

Put a pair of gear vr lenses in your vive pro. youll have a picture close to a reverb. zero glare . no washed out colors and an extremely huge sweet spot.
honestly its like a whole new head set after the swap.

Yup agreed, it is a must do mod if you own a V-Pro.

 

[HeavyGroovez]

The Index is awesome. Ive owned one since launch and have a lot of hours in it.

Super comfortable, large FOV and sweet spot, excellent colour, good resolution, class leading tracking, very good integrated audio and most importantly the option of multiple refresh rates - 80hz being perfect for sims.

On the down side the glare can be distracting at times but you get used to it. Its certainly nowhere near as obnoxious as the old god rays from the days of the Vive Pro and Rift CV1.

I also have a Reverb (owned since launch) that destroys everything on the resolution front and for certain experiences is in a league of its own (certainly for Elite its the best) but it is not without shortcomings. The colours are washed out, mura is visible in bright uniform scenes, the FOV and sweet spot are smaller than the Index.

Last in the bag are a Pimax 4K+ and a Rift S (both owned since launch) but i dont use them nowadays as they dont really cut the mustard compared to the Index and Reverb.

I use the Reverb for Elite and Assetto Corsa and i use the Index for American/Euro Truck Simulator and Assetto Corsa Competizione.

If you are coming from a Vive Pro (i owned a Gear VR lens modded Vive Pro as well so have experience with a decent OLED HMD) you will initially be a bit shocked making the transition to LCD as the blacks are not inky black - there is glow from the backlight that adds a perceivable haze to a dark low contrast scene.

In my experience its simply a matter of time before you adapt to it and dark environments feel properly dark. Other users experiences are at odds with this and some maintain that they never adapt and always find dark scenes to be no good in LCD HMDs. Its been a bone of contention since day one and you have to be prepared to deal with this when you make the switch to LCD.

 

[aXeL]

I almost purchased the reverb, I liked everything I read about it. Except one thing, the IPD. mine is 70 and I fear that it would not work for me. What are your thoughts on this?

I think you would have been very disappointed. The Reverb's one weakness is it's small sweet spot and I find, as a result, I keep the IPD wider that my actual IPD for comfort. This could've been a real problem for you.

 

[aXeL]

The Index is awesome. Ive owned one since launch and have a lot of hours in it.

Super comfortable, large FOV and sweet spot, excellent colour, good resolution, class leading tracking, very good integrated audio and most importantly the option of multiple refresh rates - 80hz being perfect for sims.

On the down side the glare can be distracting at times but you get used to it. Its certainly nowhere near as obnoxious as the old god rays from the days of the Vive Pro and Rift CV1.

I also have a Reverb (owned since launch) that destroys everything on the resolution front and for certain experiences is in a league of its own (certainly for Elite its the best) but it is not without shortcomings. The colours are washed out, mura is visible in bright uniform scenes, the FOV and sweet spot are smaller than the Index.

Last in the bag are a Pimax 4K+ and a Rift S (both owned since launch) but i dont use them nowadays as they dont really cut the mustard compared to the Index and Reverb.

I use the Reverb for Elite and Assetto Corsa and i use the Index for American/Euro Truck Simulator and Assetto Corsa Competizione.

If you are coming from a Vive Pro (i owned a Gear VR lens modded Vive Pro as well so have experience with a decent OLED HMD) you will initially be a bit shocked making the transition to LCD as the blacks are not inky black - there is glow from the backlight that adds a perceivable haze to a dark low contrast scene.

In my experience its simply a matter of time before you adapt to it and dark environments feel properly dark. Other users experiences are at odds with this and some maintain that they never adapt and always find dark scenes to be no good in LCD HMDs. Its been a bone of contention since day one and you have to be prepared to deal with this when you make the switch to LCD.

I agree with everything HeavyGroovez says except about the colours, however I note that others share his view. I think the Index colours are rich but, to me, the Reverb colours are by no means washed out in any way. I've never switched back to the 'verb and thought, 'oh these colours don't look so good'. The tones are different but ( and this is just my own personal view ) I've never thought them bad by comparison. If anything, the vibrancy in the Index makes it look 'cartoonish' rather than like a simulator in ED. I guess the Reverb panders to my personal preferences.

 

[VR andysonofbob]

I use the Reverb for Elite and Assetto Corsa and i use the Index for American/Euro Truck Simulator and Assetto Corsa Competizione.

Facinating.
Why the different headsets for these ostensibly similar games?

 

[Vahnkiljoy]

I'm loving the index, obvious quality bump over the vive that's for sure.

 

[Full_Ninja]

The Index is awesome. Ive owned one since launch and have a lot of hours in it.

Super comfortable, large FOV and sweet spot, excellent colour, good resolution, class leading tracking, very good integrated audio and most importantly the option of multiple refresh rates - 80hz being perfect for sims.

On the down side the glare can be distracting at times but you get used to it. Its certainly nowhere near as obnoxious as the old god rays from the days of the Vive Pro and Rift CV1.

I also have a Reverb (owned since launch) that destroys everything on the resolution front and for certain experiences is in a league of its own (certainly for Elite its the best) but it is not without shortcomings. The colours are washed out, mura is visible in bright uniform scenes, the FOV and sweet spot are smaller than the Index.

Last in the bag are a Pimax 4K+ and a Rift S (both owned since launch) but i dont use them nowadays as they dont really cut the mustard compared to the Index and Reverb.

I use the Reverb for Elite and Assetto Corsa and i use the Index for American/Euro Truck Simulator and Assetto Corsa Competizione.

If you are coming from a Vive Pro (i owned a Gear VR lens modded Vive Pro as well so have experience with a decent OLED HMD) you will initially be a bit shocked making the transition to LCD as the blacks are not inky black - there is glow from the backlight that adds a perceivable haze to a dark low contrast scene.

In my experience its simply a matter of time before you adapt to it and dark environments feel properly dark. Other users experiences are at odds with this and some maintain that they never adapt and always find dark scenes to be no good in LCD HMDs. Its been a bone of contention since day one and you have to be prepared to deal with this when you make the switch to LCD.

80hz is not perfect for racing sims. The higher the hz the lower the input and output lag. Makes it much easier to control the car while pushing the car to the edge. Try 120hz or 144hz if your rig can handle it