The Valve Index is Valve's own premium bit of Virtual Reality (VR) hardware, and in terms of being made available in Australia -- we've had to wait a little while. Well, that's just about over now and thanks to Valve we've had the opportunity to play (virtually) with the Index for some time now to bring our our full (for reals) review.

A snippet.

A lot of what makes-up the experience of trying out VR hardware comes down to the software you end up using. With the Valve Index finally making its way to Australia, it arrives as the high-end Virtual Reality experience for PC. Specifically, as the in-house VR headset designed by Valve to get the most out of its own SteamVR platform. And the premiere way to play Half-Life:Alyx, the narrative-heavy spectacle and VR showcase set in the Half-Life universe.

Frankly it’s the sort of AAA-style VR game we wish there was more of.
From both a technical, interactive City 17, and potential wallet-damage standpoint, the Index is formidable. Valve’s custom controllers allow for individual finger tracking that sits on top of the usual analogue-stick and button pressing. In Half-Life: Alyx and games like Boneworks the result is tactile control that firmly sets VR apart from standard ‘controller in hand’ gaming.

And with the Index supporting up to 144Hz output, there’s the addition of discomfort-free VR for extended sessions and alleviating things like motion sickness or the screen-door effect. But, there’s no skirting around the pricepoint -- $1899.95 AUD for the Complete Kit.

Our Full Valve Index Review