Valve Index is a pretty fantastic headset from Valve, and Vive is a headset that was born from the partnership of HTC and Valve.
It is nice to see that Valve has a headset of its own, which is the Valve Index, and not only has the headset exceeded our expectations when it comes to the performance but also it is one of the best VR headsets that you can find out there.
The Vive, on the other hand, is an OG VR headset, and everyone knows that you cannot go wrong with your buying decision if you are getting your hands on the HTC Vive.
With the recent price drop in the Vive, it is tempting to get this headset, but is the Valve Index worth the extra cash. Read this comparison post to find out which VR headset is a better investment than the other.
Table of Contents
Design and Build Quality
The design and build quality of the Valve Index headset is pretty amazing. It comes with a lot of padding, and the headset is extremely comfortable to wear.
It has inbuilt headphones that help you out with the audio in VR. The headset is all black , and it sports a Halo look, which is similar to the design of the PlayStation VR or the new Oculus Rift.
The Vive, on the other hand, is an OG headset with the three-way strap. The Vive is comfortable, and everything, but the design of the belt makes it feel a little bit heavier than the Valve Index.
For some reason, the Halo headband design makes it a little easier to wear the headset for extended period, or maybe it is just the Valve Index that gives you the feeling.
Valve Index is a pretty comfortable headset, and so is the Vive. Still, the design on the Valve gives you an equal distribution of the weight on the face, and the padding ensures that you are comfortable while wearing the headset.
Display and Resolution
The Valve Index comes with a resolution of 1440 x 1600 per eye, and the Vive has a resolution of 1080×1200 per eye, which is good but less than the Valve Index.
Since the Valve Index is a recent release, you are going to find some cool features like the Passthrough feature and AR possibilities.
The Vive does not have any of the two, and you are going to be with just VR gaming. The Valve Index has a much better resolution and VR image quality in comparison to the Vive.
So, when it comes to picking one among the two, I have to say that the Valve Index is better.
Refresh Rate and FOV
The refresh rate of the Valve Index is about 120 Hz, and it can go upto 144 Hz. This really helps you avoid any motion sickness that you might get because of the headset.
Honestly, the Valve Index is the only headset where I can confirm that it would not cause you motion sickness. Even today, there are a few games that can cause you motion sickness in a few headsets.
But the Valve Index is pretty amazing in that aspect as you are not going to experience any motion sickness. The Vive, on the other hand, comes with a refresh rate of 90 Hz, which is pretty less than that of the Valve Index.
The Vive has a FOV of 110 degrees, which is pretty good as it gives you a really wide field of view making the experience more immersive. But, here comes the twice, the Valve Index has a wider FOV making things even better.
The Valve Index has a way better refresh rate and FOV in comparison to the HTC Vive.
Tracking and Controllers
Even though the Valve Index is a recent release, it does not come with the inside out tracking, unlike most of the headsets in competition.
It comes with two sensors that you need to place in your gaming area so that it can track the controllers during your gameplay.
This is very similar to the lighthouses in the Vive, which need to place in your gaming room to track the Vive controllers.
When it comes to tracking and controllers, both the headsets are way too good. It is going to be challenging to choose one because they do not have any drawbacks.
Both of them track everything in the game pretty well, and you are not going to have any issue while playing any game in VR.
Gaming Performance
The HTC Vive comes with plenty of games on SteamVR, and so does the Valve Index. When it comes to games, both the headsets have plenty of options, and you are not going to run out of VR games ever.
The SteamVR platform has thousands of VR games that are compatible with both the VR headsets.
The real question is which headset is better than the other when it comes to the VR gaming experience- I would have to go for the Valve Index.
The Valve Index is pretty much the best headset that you have when it comes to getting an excellent VR experience. So far of all the headsets that I have reviewed, I can say that the Vive Index is hands down the best we have now.
If you are looking for an immersive VR gaming experience, then you should try out the Valve Index, and you would not be disappointed.
Conclusion
The Valve Index is pretty much the best headset that we have, and if you have the money to invest in the Valve Index, including a powerful PC that would support it, then I would highly recommend this headset over the Vive.
The HTC Vive is a pretty fantastic headset for the price, but if you want the best VR quality, then it would be better to go for the Valve Index.
The only deciding factor here would be how much you are willing to invest in a VR headset. If you want to go with the Vive since it fits your budget, then you should because the Vive is no less.
But, if you are okay with spending some extra cash, then the Valve Index is going to amaze you with its performance.
Comparing the features on both the headsets, they have a nice price/feature balance.
Check out both these headsets and let us know what you think in the comments below!
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