The Quest/Link combo feels like magic though, enabling you to play top-tier VR games like Half-Life: Alyx and Lone Echo (and my favorite Google Earth VR) when you have a PC handy, and then return to your carefree wireless life when you’re done. The audio is top-tier as well, replacing the old headphones method with two speakers that float over your ears, creating an ultra-realistic audio field that surrounds you instead of merely sounding like…well, headphones.Īnd as an added benefit, the Oculus Link Cable allows you to turn Quest into a full-fledged PC headset to rival the Oculus Rift. Valve still relies on base stations, which make the Index a pain to set up and dismantle, but ensure the system will almost never lose track of a controller or the headset.
The tracking is rock-solid, just like with the original HTC Vive. The Index also supports up to a 144Hz refresh rate, though you’ll need a monster of a PC to hit that frame rate consistently.īut it’s the less immediately noticeable features that make the Index stand out to me. Its 2880×1600 resolution and 130-degree field of view mean you can see the digital world clearer than ever, and more of it. Best everything-except the price, which at $1,000 (for the headset, controllers, and base stations) Remove non-product link is bound to make even the most enthusiastic adopter wince.
Best optics, best audio, best comfort, best tracking, and (once you get used to them at least) best controllers. The Valve Index is the best all-around headset you can buy at the moment.