Vr glasses Valve Index have 144Hz screens and cost 1079 euros as a complete set

By admin On Apr 30, 2019

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Valve has officially announced its VR headset Index. The VR glasses contain two LCDs with a resolution of 1440×1600 pixels per eye and a refresh rate of up to 144Hz. The glasses work with their own controllers and base stations for tracking.

According to Valve, using the high-resolution LCDs significantly reduces the screen door effect. The two screens run at 120Hz and can also display 90Hz, but there is also an experimental 144Hz mode. It is not clear what the limitations of that experimental mode are. According to the manufacturer, the Valve Index screens also display the image sharply when users move their heads. That would be five times better than the first generation of VR headsets for PCs.

Valve does not name the angle of view, because according to the makers it depends on how close the user places the glasses to his eyes. With the Index it is possible to adjust the interpupillary distance and Valve, according to its own statement, uses adapted lenses where the image is also sharp in the corners. The angle of view would be 20 degrees larger than that of an HTC Vive for ‘most’ users. The angle of view of those VR glasses is 110 degrees according to the specifications. The lenses are tilted 5 degrees outwards, which according to Valve further improves the angle of view.

The Valve Index does not use inside-out tracking. There are cameras on the headset, but they are for other applications, such as passing on environmental images while someone is wearing the glasses. The headset uses base stations for tracking. The new Base Stations 2.0 work with lasers that read sensors on the headset and the controllers 100 times per second. That works up to a distance of 7 meters and players can move in an area of 10×10 meters.

Valve combines the headset with its own Index controllers. These allow players to grab objects without the need for an abstract action such as pressing a trigger. This works with pressure sensors that are incorporated in the handle of the controller. According to Valve, each controller contains 87 different sensors to track the position, movement and pressure of the hand and fingers. This should also make throwing movements very natural and realistic.

The glasses themselves have built-in speakers, which are slightly away from the wearer’s ears. According to Valve, this produces better sound where the direction can be clearly observed. It should also be more comfortable than regular headphones. At the front of the glasses there is a section to which extensions can be connected via a USB 3 connection. Valve calls this the Frunk and states that it is intended for tinkerers. Details about this will be announced by the manufacturer later.

Valve will release the Index headset on June 28. A complete set with controllers and base stations costs 1079 euros. Valve also sells the glasses separately for 539 euros. Users who already own a Vive or Vive Pro kit can purchase that cheapest configuration. The controllers and base stations of those VR headsets are also compatible with the new glasses. A set of glasses with controllers will also be released for 799 euros. In that case, tracking cannot be used.