THE NEW BREED of virtual reality headsets are mostly focused on an experience that you can tidy away once you’ve done your Beat Saber for the day. But what if you want to immerse yourself in room-scale VR games? The Valve Index, released in 2019, is still one of the most impressive headsets on the market. Its style is somewhat more brutalist and functional than the new generation but that’s because Valve understands that you won’t care what it looks like when you’re wearing it. VR gaming isn’t about looking like you’re in your own lifestyle ad.
However, the bar for entry for the Index is significantly higher than for most headsets. Access to Steam’s selection of virtual reality offerings isn’t just a matter of handing over $1,800 for the headset, base stations, and controllers, but also clearing a room and investing in a gaming PC powerful enough to deliver the visuals the Index is capable of.