Valve Index VR Headset Details Emerge: June Release Date, Minimum PC Specs, And More

In what seems to be a mistake of setting a web page live a little too early, new details on Valve’s own gaming VR headset, called the Index, have emerged. This includes the minimum and recommended PC hardware requirements, what comes in the packaging, and (apparently) a definitive release date.

The initial Valve Index announcement was made last week with an official Steam page that indicates a May 2019 release window. However, the seemingly leaked store page (which is no longer live) listed a release date of June 15. Note that this could either be a placeholder date or a mistake; or this could be the actual launch for the VR headset.

Update (April 1, 2019): GameSpot’s sister site CNET reports that preorders will begin on May 1 and that Valve Index will launch with the company’s new SteamVR Knuckles controllers.

Additionally, the minimum and recommended PC specs were shown and appear to be in line with the other PC-based VR headsets. You’ll need at least a dual-core CPU with hyper-threading, 8GB of RAM, and a GTX 970 or RX 480 video card–Valve recommends a quad-core CPU and a GTX 1070 video card or better. You will also need DisplayPort 1.2 and USB ports (of course), though the recommended specs say that a USB 3.0 port is required for the headset pass-through camera.

A more detailed look at the Valve Index VR headset.

As for the packaged goods, the headset includes integrated headphones, two face pads (narrow and wide), a cleaning cloth, a power adapter, and tether for DisplayPort and USB connections. With the new image (seen above), you get a clearer view of the two front-facing cameras, which will be used as pass-through, indicated by the recommended specs list. The image also shows what could be two built-in sensors just above the cameras. A separate Steam page also went up for the Valve Index base station; no images were on the page though it simply said that this includes one SteamVR 2.0 base station, one “XX-foot” power cable, and a power adapter. This also had a release date of June 2019 listed. Pricing for Index remains to be a question, however, as neither the official announcement or leaked store page made any indication.

The Steam page with the details discussed above is no longer live, but you can see a screenshot of it below–it’s mostly comprised of ‘lorem ipsum’ filler text. For more on what’s coming for VR gaming in 2019, check out all the details we gathered about the Oculus Rift S and Oculus Quest coming this spring for $400 USD.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/valve-index-vr-headset-details-emerge-june-release/1100-6465959/