Valve’s Index headset was a market leader among PC VR headsets for years, but is it still worth buying in 2025 now that it’s nearly six years old? Read on for our no-nonsense recommendation.

Valve Index is Not Worth Buying in 2025

As someone who used Valve Index as my daily driver for PC VR for years , I can safely say that this 2019 headset is no longer worth buying in 2025 for its ‘full kit’ price of $1,000. Although it still has some features that are still unmatched by other options (like its excellent headphones)—its cost, complexity, size, and aging specs mean I wouldn’t recommend it for most people.

Photo by Road to VR

For the average person looking for a high-quality PC VR experience, Quest 3 gets my recommendation thanks to its combination of price, ease-of-use, and visual quality.

Quest 3 has the best lenses on the market in terms of clarity and sweet spot, a significantly higher resolution than Index, and quality inside-out tracking (which means you don’t need to set up external tracking beacons like you’d need to with Index). Just make sure you add a better headstrap than what comes in the box, like the ANNAPRO Battery Head Strap, which not only makes the headset more comfortable but also has an on-board battery for counterbalancing the headset and extending your play sessions.

As a bonus, you don’t even need a tether when using Quest 3 for PC VR. Valve’s own Steam Link app on Quest 3 makes playing SteamVR games wirelessly a breeze. Steam Link skips the middleman of Meta’s Quest Link and takes you straight into your SteamVR library. Plus you’re getting a complete standalone headset with Quest 3; for games where graphics aren’t important, playing the standalone version on Quest 3 is even more convenient and portable.

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Note: If you go the Quest 3 route, having a proper network setup is essential for a quality wireless VR experience.

Make sure your gaming PC is directly connected to your router via ethernet. Your router should be at least Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), but ideally Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax). If you’re upgrading an older router to make sure yours is ready for wireless VR, this is our recommendation. Ideally your router should also be in the same room where you’re gaming, but as long as it’s a room or two away, you should be fine.

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Ben Lang
Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."
  • NotMikeD

    Nice article, but is the Quest 3 really the only recommendation you're going to make? What about an enthusiast option, or at least a non-Meta option? Even back when the Index released, there were plenty of folks who simply refuse to buy into a Meta-controlled ecosystem, and the Index at the time was also an enthusiast-grade headset that commanded a premium for better display tech, resolution, and tracking–so what of those people?

    I myself used the Index as my daily driver for 4 years and have found a new home in the Bigscreen Beyond. Its higher resolution microOLED display offers a much higher-end PCVR experience than my Quest 3, which feels like a toy to me in comparison. For a similarly premium experience at a higher price point is the recently released MeganeX superlight 8K; that's the route I'd recommend to an enthusiast with deep pockets today.

    Totally agreed though that the Quest 3's combination of affordability and ease-of-use make it the right recommendation for most VR newcomers most of the time.

    • Ben Lang

      Yes, I think for "most people"—who don't already know if Index or worth it or not in 2025—Quest 3 is likely the best choice. It's not the best in every aspect but it's certainly the highest value option for the average person.

      Glad you're enjoying the Bigscreen Beyond. Did you get the audio strap?

      • JanO

        Hello Ben, I'd be interested in reading about the various design compromises current VR HMDs are facing and the technical roadmap to resolve current limitations. This could turn into a recurring series of articles updated periodically!

        As an example, I often wish binocular overlap was a bigger part of the discussion when talking about immersion. I feel the better FOV on Q3 was achieved through a reduction in binocular overlap when compared to Q2… While this may reduce VR sickness for new users, in the end, it does diminish the VR experience.

        Furthermore, the 80 degree overlap on Q3 makes the non-overlapped sections of your view clearly dimmer as there's only half as much light going to your retina. In my opinion, optical design should prioritize a full binocular overlap untill we reach the upper limit of actual human eyesight (about 120 degrees).

        Another subject I'd like to read more about is eye tracking. I feels this will be WAY more intrusive than useful. While I fully understand the possibilities in terms of UI, I expect most corporations will use this for ad tracking more than anything. Given the fact that we get about 80% of the performance gain just by using basic foveated rendering, the overhead associated with processing the eye tracking already eats into the small 20% of additional performance potential… Curious to get your take on these… ; )

      • NotMikeD

        Yes I got the audio strap. I wouldn't say it's a necessary add-on to enjoy the BSB, but it definitely makes a good thing better. It increases comfort by allowing you to dial in a more precise fit (making the thing feel somehow even lighter on the eyebrows and nose bridge) and provides a frictionless audio experience that sounds pretty good too.

    • JakeDunnegan

      Don't know anything about the Bigscreen you mentioned (never even heard of it till now) but I found the Q3 a huge improvement over the Q2. It felt like going from a 720p to 1440p. I was very glad to make the jump.

      • Jistuce

        I've gone from Rift to Quest 1 to Quest 3, and each one's been a notable improvement in most regards. And I'll admit that Virtual Desktop was a notable usability feature. For a lot of stuff I still don't think cordless really matters, but when it does matter it REALLY matters. And in my case, my living environment changed and my PC is no longer in a good place for VR. Without that wireless LAN connection, most of my PCVR library would be useless today.

        But the Quests also haven't been without drawbacks.
        While the self-tracked nature of the Quest family is definitely convenient, I have found it a lot less consistent and reliable than the Rift was… especially with hands. Anything down at my side or behind my back rapidly just ceases to exist, and I like hand permanence. I wish there was still an option for external stationary sensors.

        And the Rift is still just the most comfy VR headset I've ever had on my head if we ignore my glasses not fitting inside it(which was a significant problem, and the internet lied to me about a glasses spacer existing). Quest 1 in particular put a lot of weight way out in front, and that was definitely to its detriment.

  • Stephen Bard

    For most people the two most essential features for a headset are resolution and Field of View. I am continually shocked that Steam statistics show the Index continues to have a dedicated user base, since the resolution of the Index is 1440×1600 vs the Quest 3 at 2064×2208. Even the Quest 2 has a resolution far above the Index at 1832×1920. With the Quest 3 I can no longer see pixels, so resolution beyond that, while desirable, should not be made at the expense of something like FOV. I found the 100º FOV of my Quest 2 to be somewhat (((swim -mask))) claustrophobic, whereas the Quest 3 at 110º to be just marginally comfortable. I see reviews of many Micro-OLED headsets costing $1000-$2000+ (like Bigscreen) that rave about the resolution, but the downside is that they all have FOVs about 10º narrower than the Quest 3, which pushes them back down that claustrophobic rabbithole where I will never reside again.

    • NicoleJsd [She/Her]

      When you have a home theater setup most important is sound not the image quality or oled crisp screen. Similarly here, that’s probably why there are many of us still using our index even with quest 3 on the shelf

    • JanO

      What about binocular overlap? Almost nobody ever talks about it, but it's where Meta sadly compromised to attain that larger FOV at the expense of a better overlap. While the Q3 bested the Q2 in almost every other aspect, the binocular overlap was sacrificed and resulted in a less immersive experience even with the wider FOV.

  • MasterR

    Just bought it and its awesome!

  • I would say that for the enthusiasts, instead of the Quest 3, the best value-for-money is probably the Pimax Crystal Light at the moment. At least this is what some PCVR people told me.

    • NL_VR

      That's "PCVR" people that sit down and play.
      Haven't tryed it but having a bulky headset like that when playing active shooters or other games you move alot and put you hand often to your head etc, doesn't sound good.
      I understand people who sit down play, holding a wheel or just is that kind of gamer tha like walking around d and watch things in VR it works for.

      • XRC

        PCVR players isn't just seated simming, many of us thoroughly enjoy the roomscale games and active titles.

        I spent 6 hours yesterday playing "Into the Radius" using a pimax crystal with lighthouse faceplate, dmas speaker, 6.5 metre tether and index controllers

        It's heavier (which you quickly accommodate) but well balanced and with good fitting minimize intertia, overall very satisfying to use, like HD index on steroids…

        • Andrew Jakobs

          But it's the wire that's the reason why I wouldn't buy a Crystal. My last headset with wire was the HTV Vive Pro (1) and even though I had a pulleysystem, I really hated the wire, it yanked, twisted, got in the way many times, and then I just went ahead and bought the wireless module which was even more expensive as the Quest 2 at the time, but it was well worth the money. And I still hate the wire of the module down to the battery on your belt. Now I have a Pico 4 which is completely wireless, and I don't ever wanna go back (although I still think the Pro is a bit more comfortable, even with it being much heavier). I'll take the slight lesser fidelity over any wire (but wireless is also getting better and better with each new version).

          • XRC

            Understand your feelings on tethering but it's rarely bothered me. A lot depends on length and type/quality of the tether.

            longer 6.5 metre fibre optic tether on my original Crystal is very unobtrusive as it's skinny and very flexible, making roomscale movement really pleasant, whilst seated play benefits from nothing tugging at the head. I'll use a floor marker in fpsvr so rarely get tangled.

            The 4.5 metre copper tether on my Crystal Light feels noticeably stiffer in comparison, which can cause some influence on the headset, whilst the reduced length reduces roomscale movement. The slightly longer copper tether and trident cable on my Index feels a bit better than Crystal Light tether as it's bit more flexible.

        • NL_VR

          i guess you can get used to it but if i had a bulky thing like that i would hit my controllers to it.
          i even hit my Quest 3 sometimes and Quest 3 is skigoggles compared to Pimax.

          • XRC

            I use a variety of controllers including index, vive pro and pimax sword. I'm surprised I haven't hit the headset with any of them (yet!)

  • NicoleJsd [She/Her]

    It’s not that simple. Quest 3 isn’t a straight improvement in all aspects over index. Which is annoying.

    You probably shouldn’t buy index now for the 1k at least but it is still unparalleled among all contenders in some pretty important aspects. Namely: Latency, Sound and better than q3 fov

    Those aren’t minor things. latency and sound are the most important for embodiment feeling of presence. FOV also helps.

    It’s not a sidegrade but also not an overall update. It is a different thing altogether. It’s best to have both like I do

    On the other hand lack of cable is too important in blade and sorcery PCVR to use superior feeling of presence index as that game isn’t really about immersion anyway.

    Both have their uses

    • NicoleJsd [She/Her]

      Also the controllers of index are like a glimpse of VR gloves from the future. Only some games take full advantage of it but it is worth to experience that alone

      • Jistuce

        I have really wanted to try the Sonic & Knuckles controllers, and never had a chance. I hear they're amazing, but also failure-prone.

  • spirr9986

    Let's stop talking about the Valve Index and instead talk about the Valve Deckard. If it does not hook Directly to my RTX 5090 Via Display Port. I for one will not be buying that hunk of junk. I see disaster for Valve if it is not Capable of direct connection. Pimax will be looking really good….. I pray the rumors are not true.

  • david vincent

    I would have bought an Index a long time ago if it weren't for the unreliable controlers grip.

  • Runesr2

    Depends on what you want. Quest 3 has the better panel res, pancake lenses, MR support, wireless support, but garbage audio. Index panels still look great using res 200% or higher, and you get the most awesome audio.

    The Index has bigger vertical fov, actually covers your entire fov from nose to eyebrows. Using same software res, Index has native SteamVR driver support and is up to 30 – 40% faster than Quest 3 with Airlink in games that only support native SteamVR drivers – those are games with no OpenXR support and those are still many. Using VD, Index is about 25% faster in native SteamVR games. See the last post in The Index Thread in the Meta Forum for the results.

    Index only requires you to install Steam – no additional software is needed. Just plug and play.

    Index supports 144 Hz. You get no compression artifacts using Index, as there is no streaming like Quest 3 because Index connects directly to your gpu. You get the best controllers, the best tracking precision and best tracking volume with the Index – but a new Index is also twice as expensive as the Quest 3. With the Index you can play in a totally dark room, no need for any lights unlike the Quest 3. Also Index controllers are compatible with Wands in older titles.

    If my Index broke, I'd get a new one – and I can easily afford any normal consumer hmd.

    The Index is far from outdated, it was way ahead of its time when launching. With my RTX 3090 (same speed as RTX 4070 Ti, but with 24GB vram) pushing max graphics in games I'm usually using 80 Hz. In Alien Rogue Incursion – like in Green Hell VR – I'm down to res 130% for smooth 80 fps, lol. I do hope to use 144 Hz more when the RTX 5090 becomes widely available.

    Btw, as many have noticed, Meta cares very little about PCVR, see the sad state of the Rift Store with no sales at all (while there are plenty in the Quest store during the year), the broken Meta PCVR homes, the old PCVR software etc. It took years for Meta to support Win11 and Nvidis RTX 4000 series. I have very little confidence in Meta when it comes to supporting the future of PCVR.

    • Dragon Marble

      If you say Meta cares little about PCVR, then nobody does.

      Meta released multiple PCVR games. Valve released just one. Many PCVR games today are still (directly or indirectly) funded by Meta.

      Both companies care about making money above anything else. The difference is: Meta is treating VR as a profession; Valve is treating it as a hobby.

      I have very little confidence in Valve when it comes to supporting the future of VR.

  • Please note that the index does in fact do marker based inside-out tracking. The base stations themself don't do any tracking.

    • Jistuce

      You are technically correct. Only the Oculus Rift(and preceding devkits) are truly outside-in tracking.

      I've personally used self-contained tracking, but acknowledge that I'm not winning that fight for technical correctness(and it is largely irrelevant at this point in the market, with Index being the only thing that isn't using a self-contained tracking system)

  • Jistuce

    You know what? That’s fair!