After almost 2 years of waiting, Australian customers will finally be able to purchase the Valve Index from August 18.
The headset and controllers will be available in Australia through games retailer EB Games, an Australian division of GameStop. In other markets, the Index is available to purchase online through Valve directly on the Steam Store. When Australian customers visit the Steam store listing, the checkout buttons read ‘Not Available In Your Country’. This forced many customers to use shipping redirect services to import the headset from the US. However, this comes with large added costs, as well as complications with warranty and customs import fees.
For now, the store listings seem to indicate that EB Games will be the Index’s exclusive Australian retailer. It’s unclear if it will also be available through the Steam Store come August 18.
In Australia, the complete Index kit is available to pre-order for $1,899.95 AUD. The headset by itself is available for $999 AUD, the headset and controllers for $1499.95 AUD, a single base station for $249.95 and a 2-pack of controllers for $499.95. The Index and its peripherals are modular, allowing you to use parts of the system with select other, non-Index hardware within the SteamVR ecosystem. For example, the Index controllers can be used with an existing room-scale setup and Vive Pro headset. Likewise, the Index headset can be used with old Vive wand controllers. Those with an existing PC VR setup may be able to cut some costs depending on the equipment they already have.
Cloudhead Games posted a video on its YouTube account showing a full playthrough of an alternate ending for Aperture Hand Lab.
Aperture Hand Lab launched in 2019 as an on-boarding experience for Valve’s new VR controllers. It was a collaboration between Valve Software and Cloudhead Games, the latter of which had been reaching out to companies to talk about building a VR project in the years leading up to Hand Lab’s release.
Pre-Hand Lab, Cloudhead’s pitches for VR experiences didn’t seem to land with many of the large companies they were talking to. However, Valve was the exception and Cloudhead was brought on board to develop what would became Aperture Hand Lab. This week, almost two years after it’s release, Cloudhead CEO Denny Unger said the company had got permission from Valve to post a video of this unfinished, alternate ending to the game.
The alternate ending is called Nutritional Information and involves handling different types of food and placing them into a “ballistic feeding device” as ammunition. You then use the device to shoot food into the mouth of a creepy giant animatronic face. Each of the foods has different requirements that use the Index controllers in different ways — walnuts need to be crushed in your hand, eggs need to be delicately handled to be delivered whole and the lemons need to be squeezed directly into the ballistic device.
Now that we've revealed the secret alternate ending of Aperture Hand Lab, the trash in the basement of failed experiments might make more sense There are other experiments gone wrong down there too! pic.twitter.com/tClvLeTBAK
— Denny Unger @CloudheadGames (@DennyCloudhead) April 19, 2021
There’s even a nice reference to the infamous cake from the Portal series, when the user has to open some cake mix and pour it into the ballistic device so that they can shoot cakes at the giant face.
A lot of the assets in Nutritional Information are incomplete as the ending was abandoned and never finished, but it was still clearly enough of the way through development to be shared with the world in video form two years later.
Gabe Newell gave some insight into the reason behind the Valve Index headset’s supply shortage, stating that the company is ‘manufacturing constrained,” according to an interview with 1 News in New Zealand.
The Valve Index released in June 2019 and has remained a difficult headset to find in stock pretty much ever since. Not only is the headset only available in select countries, but it’s frequently gone out of stock and when it comes back it sells out almost immediately.
Even with the release of Valve’s flagship VR game in March last year, Half-Life: Alyx, Valve struggled to keep up with demand for the headset. While speaking to 1 News, Newell provided some clarity as to why.
“We actually have components that are manufactured in Wuhan and when you’re setting up your manufacturing lines it doesn’t occur to you that you’re suddenly going to be dependent on this peculiar transistor that’s sitting on one board that you can’t get,” Newell said.
“Everybody ended up running into the same problem simultaneously — you go from, ‘Oh, we’re in great shape,’ to, ‘What do you mean Apple or Microsoft just bought the next two years’ supply of this just so they could make sure they aren’t going to run out?’ You went from a situation where everything was getting done just in time to people buying up all the available supplies.”
Newell says these constraints are also why the headset still doesn’t ship to some markets like New Zealand or Australia. “The only thing keeping us from shipping in New Zealand at this point is just getting enough of them made — we’re very much manufacturing constrained.”
Valve’s SteamVR platform saw a total of 1.7 million new users in 2020, the company today announced.
SteamVR is one of two major destinations to play PC VR content, the other being Facebook’s Oculus platform. Launched in 2016, the platform supports almost every major VR headset from Facebook, HTC, Microsoft’s Mixed Reality line and, of course, Valve itself.
In an overview of Steam’s performance in 2020, Valve revealed that VR game sales were up 32% year-over-year, and that’s before you factor in sales of the company’s flagship VR game, Half-Life: Alyx, which released in March. Valve says that that game alone adds an additional 39%, bringing the total to a 71% increase in sales.
There were also over 104 million SteamVR sessions last year, averaging out to 32-minute play sessions, which the company says is a 30% increase in total playtime. VR still represents only a small proportion of the wider Steam platform, though, which saw 120 million monthly users and a 21.4% growth in games sales year-over-year.
What Drove SteamVR Growth In 2020?
There are a handful of factors that likely pushed SteamVR’s growth in 2020. The first is that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced people to stay home more, giving people more time to explore avenues like VR.
But hardware and software will have also played a part. Valve says its own Index sales were “consistently high” across 2020 (inventory was backlogged for much of the year) and, towards the end of the year, we saw the launch of the HP Reverb G2 and Oculus Quest 2, the latter of which can play SteamVR games over a tethered Oculus Link connection or streamed unofficially on Virtual Desktop.
Our own coverage of the company’s monthly Steam Hardware Survey revealed that, by the end of 2020, over 50% of the headsets used with SteamVR were Facebook-made and a further 21.9% are made by HTC Vive, with the Valve Index making up another 15.7%.
Finally, there’s software. March’s launch of Half-Life: Alyx was likely the most significant VR release to date and, last month, the company revealed the top-selling VR titles of the year, which also included newcomers like The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners and late-2019 release, Boneworks, alongside mainstays like Arizona Sunshine and Blade & Sorcery.
2021 has more big releases on the calendar, including After The Fall and Low-Fi. As for hardware, there are no confirmed new releases although a July 2020 report did note that Valve’s hardware team is already working on “what’s next“. We’ll be keeping a close eye on how SteamVR performs as the year moves on, then.
Despite the increasing popularity of standalone VR, there are several good PC VR headsets on the market. Whether you’re looking to dive into the world of PC VR headsets or already own a Valve Index, HP Reverb G2 or something else, we’ve got you covered. Our Ultimate PC VR Gift Guide takes you through all the headset options and the best accessories for each.
[When you purchase items through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission from those sales.]
PC VR Headsets: Which To Buy?
Unlike our Quest 2 and PSVR gift guides, if you’re looking at buying a PC VR headset, there’s a couple of options. For starters, no matter which headset you choose, you’ll need a VR-ready PC to run the content.
From there, there’s basically three big players, each at different price points and with different pros and cons — Valve Index, HP Reverb G2, and Oculus Quest 2. This isn’t all of the PC VR options available, but we feel these three are the best choices.
Valve Index
The Valve Index is the most expensive headset on the list and, for a long time, has remained the premier PC VR option. The headset offers great optics, fantastic controllers, and excellent tracking thanks to the latter of which is all handled by an outside-in tracking system via lighthouses sensors. While this system provides the best accuracy by far, it’s also the most cumbersome to set up. Plus, once it is set up, there’s no moving it easily.
In the middle in terms of pricing, the HP Reverb G2 is a collaboration with Valve that offers a similar PC VR experience to the Index, but with some notable caveats that might be deal-breakers for certain people. But first, the good — the Reverb G2 offers a screen that is one of, if not the, best on the market right now. It also boasts wonderful over-ear speakers and is one of the most comfortable headsets around.
However, the controllers are not the best. And even though the inside-out tracking is improved from the original Reverb, it still lacks in edge cases where controllers are at the periphery of the camera lens range and start to go out of view. Depending on what kind of VR games you’re looking to play, this might affect you more or less than others. For PC VR-only simulator enthusiasts, the controller woes may be negligible since you may spend more time with a wheel or HOTAS anyway, which makes the Reverb G2 more than worth it otherwise. For the twitchy-Expert+ Beat Saber VR player, you might be more impacted.
Now, I know what you’re thinking — you’re right, the Quest 2 isn’t technically a PC VR headset. It is Facebook’s standalone headset, a successor to the original Quest from last year. However, it is also can harness the power of Oculus Link to provide an extremely serviceable (if verging on identical) PC VR experience. This does require purchasing a long, reliable USB cable to use with Link, but even so, Quest 2 remains one of the cheapest options for PC VR, with few drawbacks.
If you’re happy with using a Facebook account and are ready to buy a USB cable to set up Oculus Link (or even play PC VR wirelessly using Virtual Desktop) then the Quest 2 is one of the best options. You get a fantastic VR experience, both in and out of PC VR content, for an insanely low price.
VR Cover has been around for a while now, and is known for making accessories designed to improve hygiene and make headsets more comfortable while they sit on your face. It offers a variety of different face covers for most major headsets, which allow you to pick a material that’s more comfortable for you.
Depending on which headset you go with, you may or may not need headphones. For some PC VR headsets, such as the Valve Index and HP Reverb G2, they come built-in with fantastic over ear headphone solutions. Headsets like Quest 2, Oculus Rift S, and other older headsets don’t always have great audio quality built-in.
To remedy this, we recommend a pair of detachable over ear VR headphones, such as the Bionik Mantis. Despite being advertised as specifically for PSVR, we’ve tried them out on PC VR straps and found that they still attach just fine.
Storing headsets can be a bit of a hassle. If you’re looking for a way to store your headset on your desk, then check out a headset stand.
These stands are an elegant way to store your headset when not in use, while also keeping it on display and out of a box. In most cases, the stands also include hooks to hold controllers as well, making them a good all-in-one solution.
We’ve tried the AMVR headset stands and found they work really well and can look quite elegant on display.
One of the downsides of PC VR headsets is the often thick, restrictive wires that go between your PC and your headset. These can make it difficult to move freely and require you to manage the cable as you play, which can get frustrating.
A solution for this problem is to install a ceiling pulley system in your play area, so that the cable loops up from your headset, through the ceiling mount, and then goes back down to your PC. We haven’t used one of these systems personally, but they look like a great way to manage your messy PC VR cables.
Any VR headset’s lenses will get foggy and dirty between uses, so you’ll want some microfiber clothes to quickly clean the lenses between games and sessions.
The major benefit of PC VR is that you’re not limited by console or mobile hardware when it comes to VR content — because your PC is doing the hard work, you can run a lot of higher fidelity games. There are some absolutely stunning games and experiences to be found on the PC VR platform. Some of the most popular and intensive VR titles, such as Boneworks or Half-Life: Alyx, are only available for PC VR headsets.
First off, the app makes it clear that not all of Valve is entirely sure on what’s next just yet. Keighley claims that, privately, ‘most of the team’ wants to make Half-Life 3 but for traditional PCs and consoles instead of VR. The company’s Phil Co at one point teases that, after Alyx, returning to the Half-Life universe isn’t as intimidating, saying “We’re not afraid of Half-Life no more.”
Tejeev Kohli, meanwhile, adds “Going from [Alyx] to a new big thing, which will be even bigger, is pretty exciting.”
But the app also hints that more VR games could well be on the table for Valve. It also teases that a ‘small team’ has been working on a ‘top-secret’ project since early 2018. Again, no word on if it could be a VR title.
Turning to the hardware, Keighley notes that the team is “already working on what’s next”, and that Valve’s Jeremy Selan himself noted the Index was already “two years old technology” at this point. Valve boss Gabe Newell made a lot of interesting remarks about the potential for new hardware from Valve ahead of the release of Alyx and, in our own interview with the team, Greg Coomer suggested the game’s ending might have some interesting implications on the hardware side.
So, after a welcome six-month break in which we actually knew what Valve was doing, we’re back to our regularly scheduled mystery and speculation. Obviously we have our fingers crossed that Valve has more VR games (and hardware) on the way, but we probably won’t be finding out anytime soon.
Before Index, Valve’s ‘Vader’ VR headset aimed for extremely high resolution in a compact design.
The information is revealed in ‘Half-Life: Alyx – Final Hours’, an interactive storybook written by Geoff Keighley, who was given unprecedented access to Valve offices and staff. The book is available on Steam for $10.
Throughout 2013 and in early 2014, Valve was working with then-startup Oculus on virtual reality. The two companies shared research, ideas, and resources, with Valve indicating it expected Oculus to provide the hardware while Steam would continue to be the digital marketplace.
This ended around the time Facebook acquired Oculus in March 2014. Shortly after, Valve partnered with Taiwanese hardware company HTC. HTC made its name as the first major Android phone producer, and had a reputation for rapidly moving from prototype to shipping.
In March 2015 the HTC Vive was announced, and in April 2016 it shipped as the first consumer room scale virtual reality system.
According to Keighley’s new book, Valve CEO Gabe Newell wanted the company to “move beyond HTC”- to produce a first party headset tightly integrated with first party VR games- similar to Nintendo’s model. This began the ‘Vader’ project.
“We weren’t going to be held back by third party and business realities, so we went a little crazy with our design for Vader. HTC helped us figure out what could be productized, but without that tension, we sort of maxed out everything on Vader” – Valve Programmer Pierre-Loup Griffais
Valve engineer Jeremy Selan is quoted saying the design had fundamental mechanical and technical architecture problems. According to Keighley’s sources, if the headset “had somehow been manufacturable”, it would have cost “upwards of $5,000”.
Vader reportedly took 12 months of the VR hardware team’s work, and was then cancelled. While this delayed a Valve headset shipping to the world, some important features of Vader were incorporated in the successor project ‘Frank’; Knuckles controllers, Lighthouse 2.0 base stations, and the off-ear audio design.
In June 2019, ‘Frank’ shipped as Valve Index, priced at $1000 for the full kit.
The percentage of SteamVR users using an Oculus Quest grew 1.42% last month, an increase from 7.46% of users in May to 8.87% in June, according to Valve’s data.
The figures come from Valve’s monthly ‘Hardware Survey’, which is offered as an opt-in survey to a random sample of Steam users every month. The survey scans components of your PC and uses SteamVR device logs to gather data on Steam users’ hardware.
The headset stats haven’t moved around very much this month, spare for the HTC Vive, Valve Index, Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift, the four of which saw the most significant changes.
The Oculus Quest continues to see month-on-month growth on SteamVR, increasing 1.42% this month after a very similar 1.43% increase in May. One reason for this may be the recently added support for USB 2.0 cords when using Oculus Link. Oculus Link allows users with a compatible cord and VR ready PC to play PC VR content on the Quest while remaining tethered to their computer. The feature originally only supported specific USB 3.o cords, but adding USB 2.0 support not only opened the feature up to many other cords, but also meant Oculus Link worked with the USB C cord that comes in the box with the Quest.
Anyone with a VR-ready PC and a Quest now has all the equipment needed for Oculus Link, which might explain the continual increase in Quest numbers on SteamVR. That being said, as we noted in the May results, it might have less to do with Oculus Link and more to do with the Quest being more readily in stock as of late, after a long period of unavailability.
The share for Valve Index also grew 1% in June, as opposed to May where it remained roughly the same. The HTC Vive headset continues a downward trend, with a decrease of 0.91% in May, similar to the original Oculus Rift which decreased 1.28%. The total percentage of Steam users with VR headsets also decreased, bringing it down 0.25%, to 1.67%.
Looking for the best VR games in 2020? Look no further!
Well, 2020 might not be going the way anyone exactly planned, but one thing’s for sure; there’s already been a lot of great VR games. As we approach the halfway point, it’s time to reflect on some of the best experiences released for headsets so far.
To recognize as many games as possible we’re splitting our current list of best VR games in 2020 into two parts. First is the all-new releases, but we’re also recognizing ports of older games that made successful transitions to other headsets. Also check out our lists for the best 25 games on PSVR, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift and SteamVR!
Best VR Games 2020: All-New Releases
Half-Life: Alyx
What Is It?: Do we really need to remind you? Valve’s legendary series finally returned in fine form as a prequel to Half-Life 2 in which we play as Alyx Vance.
Our Score: 5/5
What We Said: “But, for the already-initiated and those susceptible to it, Alyx is a triumphant return; a stunningly produced, meticulously refined capping off of the past four years of VR learnings. Its 10+ hours of best-in-class combat, evolving level design and, every so often, moments of truly inventive ideas swiftly establishes it as a new benchmark for the platform.”
OhShape (Quest, PC VR, PSVR coming soon)
What Is It?: Beat Saber meets human Tetris; you have to fit shapes in a wall, avoid obstacles and grab coins to the beat. A nice change of pace from other VR rhythm games.
Our Score: 4/5
What We Said: ” It’s a smart, straight, no-nonsense rhythm game with an energetic core mechanic and plenty of options to tailor the experience to your liking. There’s a few presentation hiccups and the initial track list could be more inspiring, but these are minor and very fixable issues. If you’re growing tired of slashing or shooting beats in VR, then you should definitely try throwing some shapes here instead.”
What Is It?: Based on the enduring comic book series, Saints & Sinners takes players to zombie-infested New Orleans, where they shoot and stab their way to survival.
Our Score: 4/5
What We Said: “Despite its minor issues like relatively boring environments, repetitive mission structure, and human AI that leaves a bit to be desired, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is easily the best zombie game in VR to date. The shooting mechanics feel heavy and impactful and melee is extremely violent in just the right ways. There’s plenty of depth between the survival systems and crafting mechanics and it packs a large and dense adventure unlike anything else out there.”
Paper Beast (PSVR)
What Is It?: Another World creator Eric Chahi makes his VR debut with this sensational VR animal kingdom.
Our Score: 4/5
What We Said: “It is a game not content with just one miracle, be it the authentic, almost documentarian approach to a virtual ecosystem, nor the technical milestones such a feat requires. Even its set of puzzles somehow emerge as a remarkably natural extension of its core themes and systems, creating a cohesive and curiously precious VR game to be preserved and savoured. Though it usually comes with unintended pitfalls, Paper Beast proves playing god can be great from time to time.”
Down The Rabbit Hole (Quest, PC VR, PSVR)
What Is It?: An all-new adventure set in Wonderland that takes you on a whirlwind tour of strange places and crazy characters.
Our Score: 4/5
What We Said: “Even Down The Rabbit Hole’s sheer existence seems like lunacy. It’s as strange a VR game you’ll find, one that refuses to be pegged down to any one demographic or tick any certain box. There might be a touch of tameness to some of its puzzles and the adventure is over a little too soon, but when the game tips its box of ideas upside down, magic usually falls out. Down The Rabbit Hole is as Mad as a Hatter, and that’s exactly what you’d want it to be.”
The Room VR: A Dark Matter (Quest, PC VR, PSVR)
What Is It?: Fireproof Games’ award-winning series delivers a compelling VR-native series of intriguing puzzles.
Our Score: 4/5
What We Said: “The Room VR: A Dark Matter is an exemplary puzzle game that not only serves as a prime example of what makes puzzle games so compelling in the first place, but elevates the genre via VR with supreme interactivity, excellent visuals, and a palpably mysterious atmosphere.”
Lies Beneath (Quest, Rift)
What Is It?: Drifter does Silent Hill in this story-driven first-person shooter that pits you against horrific monsters.
Our Score: 4/5
What We Said: “While Lies Beneath doesn’t pack enough true terror to be considered a new peak for VR horror, it does manage to craft an intriguing story in a stylishly formed world with mostly satisfying combat and palpable tension. It’s exciting to see a developer that was so previously rooted in the fast-paced action shooter category branching out to something more slow-paced, narratively-driven, and visually unique.”
Pixel Ripped 1996 (Quest, PC VR, PSVR)
What Is It?: The next in ARVORE’s series of love letters to retro gaming, Pixel Ripped 1995 has players enjoying tributes to classic consoles inside VR.
Our Score: 4/5
What We Said: Pixel Ripped 1995 is a bigger, bolder, and even more nostalgic walk down memory lane that shifts the focus from the late 80s to the early 90s — perhaps the most iconic and formative decade of the video game industry to date.
Spaceteam VR (Quest, PC VR, PSVR coming soon)
What Is It?: A successful conversion of a frantic mobile party game, Spaceteam has up to six players working together to keep their vessel going.
Our Score: 4/5
What We Said: “Inevitably, some of the same-room companionship is lost in the transition from physical to virtual, but not nearly as much as you might think, and thoughtful additions made possible by headsets go a good way to making up for it. Spaceteam VR will break friendships, ruin your vocal cords and raise your blood pressure. That is to say, it’s quite a delight.”
Best VR Games 2020: Ports
Ghost Giant On Quest
What Is It?: A touching story-driven adventure in a gorgeous papercraft world, with fun puzzles and a mature take on a troubling subject.
Our Score: 5/5
What We Said: “Ghost Giant remains a delicate balance of charm and poignancy; an important story told with the right amount of sensitivity, steeped in the power of VR connection and companionship. Solving its puzzles might present the occasional road bump, but you’ll otherwise be swept up by its marvellous world of miracles and the characters that live in it. And, thanks to Quest, that’s easier to do than ever.”
Final Assault On PSVR
What Is It?: VR does the WW2 RTS with fantastic results.
Our Score: 4/5
What We Said: “There’s a fun focus on planning and improvising in Final Assault, making it an engaging, albeit somewhat less involved, entry for the genre even if it wasn’t on a headset, but in virtual reality, the RTS shines as an imaginative chest of colorful toys. Just make sure when you’re planning your attack to call in a supply drop of dramamine.”
Form On PSVR
What Is It?: A sublime piece of VR puzzling with first-class interactions and amazing visuals.
Our Score: 4/5
What We Said: “FORM is a little too short and lacking in challenge for it to be considered a true classic, but it stands tall as a VR puzzler unlike any other. There’s an understanding of this new medium here that few developers have been able to demonstrate. Its atmosphere is dense and engaging and its puzzles capture a strong sense of discovery, resulting in a brilliant blend of gameplay and experience. The flood of VR puzzle games could learn a lot from the foundations that Charm Games has laid here.”
Tetris Effect On Quest
What Is It?: Tetris… in VR. Yes, really.
What We Said: ” Playing Tetris Effect that way is a real prospect with an Oculus Quest — and an utter joy — that would be very hard to achieve with a console or PC tethering you to the house.”
Gorn On PSVR
What Is It?: Free Lives’ gloriously silly battle sim that rips up the rules on VR violence.
What We Said: “All that said, if you’re able to optimize your setup and come in with the right expectations, I’d still say Gorn is an easy recommendation for PSVR fans. No, you’re not getting an epic adventure comparable to the bar-raising The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, but there’s still some of VR’s most entertaining combat on offer here.”
Do you agree these are the best VR games of 2020 so far? Let us know in the comments below!
New HP Reverb G2 details have emerged following the headset’s reveal last week.
Members of the HP team answered questions on Reddit following the reveal of the device, which is the result of a collaboration between HP, Microsoft and Valve. We already know the Reverb G2 is 4K PC VR headset with inside-out tracking afforded by four cameras. It’s also got Valve Index-style audio, redesigned motion controllers and improved ergonomics with a six-meter cable.
New HP Reverb G2 Details Revealed
Over on Reddit, HP confirmed that not only is the cable longer than the previous generation, but it’s “single barrel and thinner” too. As we already knew, you’ll be able to detach it from the headset, but HP also confirmed that it plans to sell replacement cables. No word on when they’ll go on sale or how much they’ll cost just yet.
As for the headset itself, the company revealed that it’s planning 60Hz mode and half-resolution modes. These should help the headset run on PCs that struggle with its beefy specs. There will also be camera passthrough, which will be in black and white.
Moving on to the controllers, HP confirmed that they won’t have capacitive sensors like Oculus Touch controllers. That means no finger sensing in this iteration. The grip button is now analog, though. HP already confirmed that it will sell the controllers separately and that they’re backward compatible with older Windows Mixed Reality devices, but clarified they won’t see pre-orders and will likely ship after the G2 itself releases in Fall 2020.
There are other experiments gone wrong down there too! 
