The Valve index is a virtual reality headset that exploded in popularity when Valve announced a new Half-Life title, Half-Life: Alyx. The new title is a VR-exclusive, so it caused a rush to order the headset, which predictably went out of stock almost immediately. Now, Valve has announced that the hardware will soon be back in stock. On March 9th, Valve will relist the Valve Index VR systems in their shop for a short time.
There are no clear details about how many orders Valve can accept before they run out of stock again, and we’re back at square one waiting for more VR units to be manufactured. Although if you are picking up the Valve Index and already own a VR platform, don’t worry, the Valve offering is compatible with HTC Vive and Vive Pro controllers, as well as HTC Vive and Vive Pro base stations.
Although just because the units will be back in stock, don’t expect them to be plentiful. Valve has been rushing to get these new units ready for the launch of Half-Life: Alyx and there’s likely only a limited number available. Expect the inevitable popularity of the VR device to cause issues with availability, and possibly even the stability of Steam as people rush to buy games and the like.
Half-Life: Alyx is set to launch on March 23rd, so if you’re looking to get in on the ground floor on launch day, you need to be ready to grab this new hardware while it is still up for sale.
