Dedicated virtual reality website RoadToVR is reporting that Valve’s very own Index VR sets have experienced a giant surge in purchases. It went even that far that the Valve Index is currently sold out and not available for purchase in some territories. The news comes very shortly after Valve unveiled the new chapter into the Half-Life universe with a dedicated VR experience titled Half-Life: Alyx.
PC gaming giant Valve has been at the forefront of VR technology ever since the highly-immersive technology experienced a massive resurgence in interest during this decade. Together with Occulus, Valve pioneered many technological and software standards. While Occulus created its own VR device, Valve partnered up with HTC and developed the HTC Vive. It became the de facto Steam VR device. But VR is a field where great advancements have been made in a short time, and thus Valve released its very own VR device a few months ago, the Valve Index. Not only is it offering the most premium VR experience in its headset but with the one-of-a-kind Index Controllers, Valve’s product can individually track players’ five fingers. Hence index.
All these advanced features come at a literal price though, with the Index being the most expensive VR device currently on the market. It’ll cost you $999 just for the VR kit itself, containing the headset, two controllers and two base stations for tracking. Of course, you’ll also need a capable gaming PC to drive the monstrously powerful Index. After the announcement of Half-Life: Alyx, Valve is now also giving away a copy of their upcoming title for owners of the Index.
With such a high monetary requirement it’s even more impressive that Valve’s Index is currently sold out in the U.S. and Canada. And that’s without having any kind of discount going on. It goes to show just how effective the Half-Life name alone can be and marks Alyx as the first true system-seller in VR. We expect Valve to mitigate supply constraints before Half-Life: Alyx launches next year in March.
