The most interesting thing about Valve's new VR headset might be its controllers

About a month ago, Valve announced that she was working on her own VR headset, separate from HTC Vive and Vive Pro, but still compatible with all currently available Steam VR games. Now, Valve has finally released a ton of details on the Index, including some of its new unusual capabilities.

From the headset itself, the Index seems ready to face the HTC Vive Pro with specifications such as dual LCD displays offering a resolution of 1440 x 1600 to each eye, identical to the one you get on a Vive. Pro. But where Valve went further by supporting refresh rates up to 120Hz (30Hz higher than the Vive Pro), with support for an even higher experimental mode at 144Hz.

This increased refresh rate could be a considerable benefit for people who usually experience nausea when using virtual reality, as any visual delay or jitter is often one of the leading causes of motion sickness. caused by virtual reality. The Index also changes the way it handles audio because instead of having built-in earphones, the Index comes with special "radiators" specially designed to rest natural and immersive sound stage.

On the outside, the Index also features two 960 x 960 out-of-the-box cameras. But even with these cameras, the Index still requires a pair of base stations to support general motion tracking. and the RV at the scale of the room. In addition, because the index does not have an optional wireless adapter like the one offered by HTC, you will also need to connect the headset to a nearby computer using the 5 meter detachable cord of the Index.

With regard to the base stations of the Index, it is a bit strange to see that Valve needs it because the recent trend of VR headsets is to use externally oriented cameras to follow the movement of your hands and your body while offering a simpler and simpler configuration. . So, to counteract this, Valve claims that its 2.0 base station offers more accurate tracking and a wider field of view covering a 400% larger area with only two base stations compared to the base stations of origin of Vive. In addition, if this is not yet enough, Valve indicates that it is possible to incorporate up to four base stations in total in a single virtual reality installation to cover a total area of ​​10 square meters.

Perhaps the biggest innovation in the Index is its new controllers, which feature a redrawing track layout and button layout, as well as an incredible 87 sensors built into each controller. So what does Valve do with all these sensors? Follow the individual movements of your hand and fingers to truly bring a realistic touch experience to virtual reality.

Each controller is equipped with sensors that can indicate the pressure exerted on each controller, while others detect your fingers so you can take objects or launch objects in a much more realistic and intuitive way. The controllers even come with a fabric strap, which allows you to open your hands without dropping the controllers.

Initially, the index controller will be compatible with all existing Steam VR games, but Valve said he also works with developers to take advantage of additional controller features, including handle detection and the new button. multifunction track.

While it's hard to say much more without testing the new Valve headset, the Index seems to be taking a big step forward in making virtual reality more like a whole-body experience. Unfortunately, like almost all desktop-based virtual reality configurations, the index is not cheap. While the headset can be purchased alone for $ 500 and used with the previous Vive hardware, the full kit, including its two base stations and a pair of controllers (which seems like a must-have accessory) costs $ 1,000.

The pre-orders for the Index will be posted tomorrow (May 1st) and deliveries should arrive on June 28th.