Just Went From Rift S to Valve Index - My Brief Report

UPDATED 7/13/2020 - @uri_ba pointed out that in SteamVR settings, if your computer has bluetooth, the power on/off of the base stations can be automatically controlled. Thanks!!! I remove the para below where I gave incorrect info on this.

I had been using the Rift S for about a year, and finally pulled the trigger to get the index. I wanted to offer my observations/conclusions about the upgrade.

First, to those using the Rift S, know that it provides a good 80% of the experience that the Valve Index does. That % is my own subjective estimation. You get a lot in a Rift S. So, do not feel like you can double your pleasure by moving to the index.

But...

The valve index has some great pluses. Cockpit dials are 15-20% easier to read. And that makes a big difference because in the Rift S, I often felt some the dials required a bit of eye strain to interpret. Like it was on the border of clarity but not quite there. For the Valve index, it's better. Not fully where I hope it will be someday, but enough better that it's a more comfortable 'ride'. So I am happy about that. I think this ranks among the best reasons to upgrade from a Rift S.

Lots have been said about the 120 (or even 144) Mhz Valve index refresh rate compared to the Rift S 80mhz rate. Forget about fixating on the numbers, here's my take. I like running at the 120, things seems smoother overall. however... I also seem to "feel" as much as see the micro movements of the screen as (say) rotating the plane. I know this is confusing. It's like it's smoother, but perhaps because the valve index has a very short "screen persistence" my eyes can detect the individual "frames" easier. >>>But overall, it's a better experience.<<<

Audio wise, (again) much has been written about the over the ears speakers. They are indeed hands down better than the rift S strap speakers... (but I have a 'but' in a minute...) In a room scale game (Like half life alyx), that is huge. In DCS however, they excel, but when used differently than expected.

('But') DCS in preferences allows you to output headphone sounds (e.g, communications) to one sound card, and all other sounds to another. For me the magic with the Valve Index happens audio wise if I output most sounds to my desktop speakers, which also puts the sound through my buttkicker. But headphone sounds (like talking to other pilots) are strong because of the valve speakers. In the Rift I had to wear over the ear headphones. Which means desktop speakers don't work well. Understand what I am saying? I am using both now because of the Valve Index. And it works magically. Also, I can call on VoiceAttack to play music and because I've set the default sound in Windows to the headset in this case valve index, the music comes through the index speakers. Think "Iron Eagle".

I'm sorry I am blabbing I just found that audio combination so compelling!

The Index field of view is also much talked about. Better than the Rift S? Yes. Does it make dcs a better experience? Probably. >>>I just haven't noticed it.<<< (and perhaps that is the interesting conclusion).

One downside to the index is its weight. Again, much has been written about its comfort. It does have great straps and pads. But that isn't enough to make up for its weight. THE RIFT S is more comfortable to wear IMHO simply because it is lighter.

Well, 'nuf said. I did a 45 minute campaign mission last night, and between the clarity of the index, and audio system I contrived (see above), it was friggin magical. I was out of the normal world.

Made me forget about what was going on down below...

Hope you like my little write up.

My system:

i-9700

32 Gig

1080 (not 1080 ti....)

SSD storage and operating system drive

Note: I normally run with graphic settings at the low end with the exception of textures and civilian traffic. Also I run with dcs VR set to about 1.7,

Nice write up, thanks much for sharing!

Thanks for sharing....i am just trying to get an index as well....i have good experiences with the Rift S, but i need more...and the Reverb is just too much for my pc with the settings i use.

The problem is that it seems impossible to get a decently priced index right now

thank you for the post, very interesting!

My thanks for the writeup!

Also...did you find many differences performance wise between rift S and the Index?

The index resolution is slightly higher, but the pixel count is not so much different..

Also...did you find many differences performance wise between rift S and the Index?

The index resolution is slightly higher, but the pixel count is not so much different..

If there was any performance hit on the Valve index I did not to see it. I usually keep my visual settings towards the lower end, and combined with my high end CPU, there was no performance hit that my Mark-1 eyeballs could detect.

Nice review. I started with CV1 and decided to go with the Rift S after Matt Wagner's review. The CV1 was just too hard to use. I couldn't read gages, I couldn't spot airplanes. Rift S was a huge step forward for me. Lately the Rift S is looking better to me, I don't know if it is something in my perception or a real improvement between DCS, Oculus, and Microsoft Windows patches. but I am very happy with the image quality in most aircraft. My only complaint is that the fps is almost always 40 or less with larger missions, complex cockpits, etc. and that means ASW, which frequently means "ghosting" in dogfights. If I could run at a steady 80 fps with image quality settings at or nearly at maxed out settings with no ghosting, the Rift S would be good enough for me. I am considering an HP Reverb G2. But maybe I should wait a little longer for a bigger generational jump in VR, cpus, and gpus to move forward.

The one item you mentioned that would make me want the index is FOV. I want a natural, full FOV, but in the interim, I will settle for whichever company can deliver the largest FOV while having the best pixels per degree while still being playable at 40-45 fps in DCS World. So, the one reason for me to try the index is it might be my best option for FOV until better hardware is available.

For now, I will just keep studying these forums for reviews like this one so that I can make a well educated decision whenever I finally pull the trigger on trying to upgrade from the Rift S. The problem is that I really need to upgrade the PC/gpu as well. But I have been waiting for the cpu/motherboard combos to have meaningful gains in DCS World rather than around 20% I can get right now. I am also having trouble justifying $1,000 or more for a gpu. The ones I like are at least $1,200, when I have consistently built solid gaming machines for $1,500 prior to the inflation of gpu prices a couple of years ago due to bitcoin mining. Suddenly, upgrading VR headsets sounds cheap compared to buying a GPU that can run it.

 

Minor minor issue with Valve Index. I can hear the base stations spinning. Not an issue when you are playing DCS or have other noise in the room. But when all else is quiet they emit an audible (if you have good high pitch hearing) whine. Maybe there is a way to have them shut off if steamVR is off, I don't know. For now, killing the wall power will work.

I'll PM you the same, as people tend to not look at their threads after a while :)

However, the Basestations can be linked to your computer via BT. and steamVR will bring them up and power them down when you open/close it.

You can turn this feature on/off at any time by navigating to SteamVR->Settings->Base Station->Power Management.

I'll PM you the same, as people tend to not look at their threads after a while :)

 

However, the Basestations can be linked to your computer via BT. and steamVR will bring them up and power them down when you open/close it.

 

You can turn this feature on/off at any time by navigating to SteamVR->Settings->Base Station->Power Management.

I found it! Thanks!

Great review

I also own the Rift S and love the VR side of gaming. I got the Rift because I want to test the waters with VR gaming before i spend more money on better equipment.

Im going to wait for the Reverb G2 to be released and then upgrade/

Cant wait.

I rented Index just to check if it's worth upgrading from Rift S. And i should say that difference is minor. Index has superior controllers and headphones, but visuals are more a less the same. As for 144Hz yes it was possible to spot the difference if i looked for it. But when actually playing the game it makes no difference. What i really don't like is that Index is extremely hot.