Valve’s index headsets have been the market leader in PC VR headsets for many years, but now nearly six years ago, is it worth buying in 2025? Read our nonsense recommendations.
Valve Index is not worth buying in 2025
As someone who used Valve Index as my daily driver for PC VR year you can safely say that this 2019 headset is no longer worth buying in 2025 for a $1,000 “full kit” price. While other options (like good headphones) still have unparalleled features, the cost, complexity, size and aging specifications mean that they are not recommended for most people.
For the average person looking for a high-quality PC VR experience, Quest 3 receives my recommendations thanks to the combination of price, ease of use and visual quality.
Quest 3 has the best lenses on the market in terms of clarity and sweet spots, with significantly higher resolution than indexes, quality inside out tracking (no need to set up external tracking beacons that require you to use indexes). Add a better head strap than what comes in the box, like the Annapro Battery Head strap. Not only does it make your headset more comfortable, it also has an onboard battery to offset the headset and expand your play session.
As a bonus, if you use Quest 3 for your PC VR, you don’t need a tether. Valve itself Steam link The Quest 3 app allows you to easily play Steam VR games wirelessly. Steam link Skip the Meta Quest Link Intermediary and take it directly to your SteamVR library. Plus, you’re getting a complete standalone headset in Quest 3. For games where graphics are not important, playing the standalone version on Quest 3 is even more convenient and portable.
Note: Go to Quest 3 route and you will have a proper network setup essential A high-quality wireless VR experience.
Make sure your gaming PC is connected directly to the 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 want to upgrade your old router and make sure your wireless VR is ready, this is the recommendation. Ideally, the router should also be in the same room where you’re playing the game, but as long as there are one or two rooms apart, it’s fine.
