Credit: Valve
Valve has announced that it is discontinuing its Index virtual reality headset, seven years after the device’s release. This decision is likely linked to the launch of a new VR headset, Steam Frame, last month.
The price of the headset has dropped from $500 to $400. A replacement cable now costs $103 instead of $130, and a left controller is $120 instead of $150. Meanwhile, the full kit—which included base stations and controllers and previously sold for $1,000—is no longer available. Base stations have also been removed from sale, and the right controller can no longer be purchased separately.
Valve has clarified that this discontinuation will not affect existing Index owners; the device will continue to be supported via Steam and SteamVR. Furthermore, the company maintains its partnership with iFixit, which offers original spare parts for repairing the headset and controllers. It is not currently known how much stock remains in the company’s warehouses.
Valve released the Index in June 2019. The device required a connection to a PC and used external base stations for positional tracking. It is equipped with two LCD panels, each with a resolution of 1440 x 1600 and a refresh rate of 144 Hz.
