The Valve Index is officially at the end of the line. Valve has confirmed the PC VR headset “is no longer being produced,” and its Valve Index Sunset page on Steam is selling off what’s left at 20 percent off “while supplies last.”
The new prices
According to Road to VR, the headset alone drops from $499 to $399.20. A replacement left controller falls from $149 to $119.20, and a replacement tether goes from $129 to $103.20. In the US, only left controllers are currently listed, while buyers in the UK and EU can still find both sides.
The biggest gap is tracking. The Index relies on SteamVR base stations, which Valve is not selling in the clearance, so new buyers will need to source them elsewhere, such as HTC’s single base station at $229. The full Index kit with controllers and base stations, which cost $999 at launch, is no longer offered.
Still supported
Valve says nothing changes for people who already own an Index. The headset continues to be supported on Steam and SteamVR, and the discounted replacement parts may be most useful to existing owners keeping their setups running.
The Index launched in 2019 and became the enthusiast’s PC VR headset of choice, praised for its display, refresh rate, finger-tracking controllers and off-ear speakers. Valve designer Lawrence Yang had indicated last year that it was no longer being manufactured, but this is the first official word from the company.
Its replacement is already here. Valve released Steam Frame last month, a standalone headset that runs VR and flat games natively and can stream wirelessly from a gaming PC. With most headsets now using inside-out tracking, the Index’s laser-based setup feels like a product of its time, even if its audio and visuals still hold up.
Steam Frame is now Valve’s VR headset going forward, and RCG covered its pricing when Valve revealed the standalone headset starts at $1,059. If you want a new Index as a piece of PC gaming history, the clearance is likely the last chance to buy one directly from Valve.
