Valve Index preview test – top spec virtual reality, but not quite VR 2.0

The new Valve Index virtual reality system is here. It’s here in our hands, on our heads, and in our ears, and all-told it makes for simply the best consumer VR setup around, with a host of improvements over the previous generation of headsets and controllers. But does the Valve Index really represent the true next generation of virtual reality? I’d maybe argue not quite, but no version 1.5 setup goes quite as close to providing a genuine next-gen VR experience.

This is purely an early preview of the new Index kit - Valve is promising a large number of updates between now and its final release - so we’re not going to be giving a final score or verdict on it until then. We’ve had time to play with the new headset and controllers though, and it’s an incredibly impressive bit of kit, for many reasons. Some obvious, and some that have come completely out of left field…

But before we get into the actual experience of strapping into the sharper world of the Index, let’s spend some time talking about what’s actually in the package as a whole.

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