Valve Index has a full reveal, with pre-orders starting today
We've known about the existence of the Valve Index VR headset for a while now, but the company has now officially revealed new details on the Index via its official site, with pre-orders opening today. This will only be a limited-quantity launch for those in the US and European Union, and shipping is expected to start on July 1.
On the site we see that the headset has dual 1440x1600 RGB LCD screens, providing 50% more subpixels than OLED equivalents, with a fill-factor three times better than OLED as well. The headset also runs at 120Hz, with the ability to scale back to 90Hz and an experimental 144Hz mode too, allowing for higher frame-rates. What's more is that we're also getting a reduced illumination period of 0.330ms to 0.530ms depending on frame-rate, keeping images sharp when your head is moving.
The dual-element custom lenses built into the Index have been made to maximise the field of view, something Valve says promises 20% more FOV than the HTC Vive "for typical users". This also includes adjustments available for IPD (distance between eyes) and eye relief (distance from lens to eye).
The website also gives details on the physical materials the headset is made out of, and the on-ear built-in audio, although the Valve Index Controllers will probably be more interesting to VR users. To pick up things in the virtual space you don't even need to use triggers - "hold up two fingers to make the peace sign, or drop objects by just opening your hand - just like in real life."
87 sensors make this all possible, tracking finger position, pressure, and motion, and this last point is important for throwing items in the VR world, since the controllers measure elements like velocity and trajectory to determine the landing point. Again, the website gives more details on physical features and buttons, although you can see these for yourself in the pictures below.
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As for the Base Stations, we get word of Base Station 2.0, with increased range and FOV providing a 400% larger play space "compared to the previous generation". Multiple Base Stations can even be added if you want to increase your play area.
This Base Station builds upon the SteamVR tracking technology, as fixed lasers sweep 100 times a second to track phototonic sensors on the headset and the controllers, reducing the risk of occlusion when playing.
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You can find all of these products on the official Valve Store, where we see that the whole kit featuring the headset, controllers, and two Base Stations costs £919.00 ($999.00 USD), although there are other packages available to split these items up.
Will you be getting this?