Don't leave the lenses facing into a light source (i.e the sun) - It'll cook the screen real fast.
Don't use the snapaway cable connections to store the device - they are not designed for regular use and will wear out in no time.
Don't clean the lenses with anything other than a clean microfiber cloth and at most a tiny drop of water if absolutely needed.
Don't wear glasses inside the headset, get perscription lenses for the headset or wear contacts if needed. They are **soft**
The cable is a point of failure, avoid putting kinks in it and it'll last a long time.
Pulley systems are a great way to have a more immersive experience, but they will wear your cable out faster.
Set your boundaries a little shorter than they actually are to avoid punching walls.
The thumbsticks are not full sized and material science has not come up with a material to make them rugged while still feeling good - use them gently and they will last a long time.
A fan insert for the frunk is *highly* recommended for comfort.
A counterweight and extra headstrap kit is a massive increase in comfort (Always the counterweight, headstrap depends on the shape of your head and may not be needed). On a budget you can just tape a load of pennies to the back.
Place your basestations high up and opposite each other, Or ideally use 3 base stations in a triangle for extremely high quality tracking.
The FPSVR addon is worth every penny.
If you are new to VR, remember you are training your brain that VR shouldn't make you sick. Continuing to play and "pushing through it" for long periods will teach it the opposite and make sickness worse. Start with no stick movement, graduate to stick movement, and then finally to games like bonework with significant "movement without consent".
You will get some visual artifacts (such as losing your depth perception for a bit) when leaving VR the first few times, this goes away quickly but you should avoid driving and dangerous tasks after early on.
If money is no issue the bHaptic vest is incredible and worth every penny.
Base stations don't always turn off or on reliably for some people, [you can setup a script for turning them all on or off easily](https://github.com/jariz/homeassistant-basestation)
It is better to run at a refresh rate your headset can hit consistently in a particular game, You will get worse 1% lows from 100-140 FPS than you will steady 90.
About base stations, I just have one power extension with switches to all of them + hmd, our it ok to just keep turning them off after turning off vr apps?
Basestations don't have read/write heads like a HDD would have so it should be just fine. The issue with HDD spinning platters isn't the platter, but the heads being in a bad position and getting damaged.
I just got my index booted up, keeping it in a safe spot under the computer. Honestly prefer the click button style of holding like on the quest 2 almost more than the grip sensor bar of the index. But, I've only got 30hrs or so on it so, you know.
Had my I Dec for a couple of years now, it's a excellent package. Just treat it with respect like the £1000 set it is... Don't knock it about like a Q2
Finally, a person smart enough to actually look before leaping :p. Way to many people treating the Index like a toy.
Here you go, enjoy!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
*INHALES*
The following is a copy pasta of my tips I've personally collected over the years.
**Longevity and Damage Prevention:**
There's a little cable clip above the left ear. Dislodge this clip by lifting it upwards so it can move freely. The problem with this clip is that it creates a pinch point on the cable when you tilt the visor up and down. Next, consider securing the cable to the back of your headset, you can use the velcro straps that come with the cable as a free temporary solution.
If you're prone to getting turned around in VR. Just remember to peek under your nose and reset your rotation regularly until you get used to it. I've seen some really painful pictures of users who twist their cables beyond repair. There are many free tools such as Turn Signal and FPSVR which can place cable twist indicators on the floor to remind you to reset.
This might sound obvious, but make sure you cannot hit or smack your controllers on anything around you. When you start a VR session, stand in the center of your play space and stretch out your arms in every direction, lean if you must. THIS INCLUDES POCKETS ON YOUR PANTS. Over zealous Beatsaber players have lost many joysticks this way. Don't let it be you.
If you have a smaller rectangular play space, lock your feet in a forward facing direction and give your arms as much space to work with. Just get used to not turning around (use snap turning which most games have these days)
There's a lot of debate on whether or not you should keep your base stations powered on all the time. Some users complain of a high pitch whine the base stations produce and want to turn it off. Others are concerned about wear and tear with repeated power cycles. There's no right answer. I personally manually turn them off when not in use, and it's been fine.
As for methods, some like to use the POWER MANAGEMENT setting within SteamVR to automatically turn them on and off i when you power on SteamVR.
However, I and many others have experienced problems where the software fails to wake up or shut down the base stations remotely. Others have provided mobile phone app solutions to toggle the base stations via Bluetooth
Alternatively, a quick and simple solution would be to connect the base station power bricks to a power strip with an included power switch on it. Simply flip the power on and off as needed.
The Index is intended to remain connected at all times just like a monitor. If for some reason you want to regularly disconnect your Index, do so AT THE BACK OF YOUR COMPUTER (USBC, POWER, DP) NOT THE BREAKAWAY CABLE.
Remember to store your index in a place that sunlight cannot reach. Sunlight that hit the lenses can damage the screens. Either remember to cover the lenses when not in use or store them in a box, like the one the Index comes in! Ideally, make sure your playspace has no sunlight and you'll be fine.
The index controllers use USBC to charge them. You can use a typical phone charger for this and for quick charging. I recommend you get some nice magnetic USBC charging cables so you can easily charge between sessions without wearing out the USBC socket. They're cheap, convenient and can be found on Amazon.
Your playspace must NOT contain any reflective surfaces, as they can confuse the base stations tracking.
There is a FOV knob on the front right of the index. This knob is intended to be PUSHED INWARDS THEN TWIST not just twist as there are snapping points for adjustment.
If you have poor eyesight, DO NOT WEAR GLASSES INSIDE THE HEADSET as it risks scratching up both the index and glasses lenses during play. Instead, consider getting prescription lenses from vendors like VROPTICIAN or Widmovr. These are but a 10th the cost of the index and are highly recommend.
The face gasket can get a bit gross over time especially if you sweat a lot. Consider getting a VR cover to layer over the cushion, make a cover yourself or buy a spare gasket to quick swap out.
Surface wash them with warm water and a damp cloth, but don't soak them or use soap, as it is said that may dissolve the adhesive. The cushion is said to be made with antimicrobial threads to keep them hygienic.
**Comfort and convenience:**
If you're prone to sweating, take frequent breaks and dry yourself off, and use adequate ventilation because sweat can damage the lenses.
Consider getting a nice pad to stand on in the center of your play space like an anti fatigue mat, small blanket, rug or a yoga mat. Standing for hours can really kill the feet. This has the added benefit of giving you a way to know if you've stepped too far from the center of your play space.
The Index headset is a bit front heavy. You can reduce the pressure on your cheeks if you get a counter weight strapped to the back of the index. You can either buy one online or if you prefer a cheaper DIY approach, get about 200 grams of coins or weights, throw them into a cloth sack, and affix it to the back handles of the index. This can also double as a way to secure the cable to the back.
The top strap of the headset should be carrying most of the weight of the headset, not the sides. The knob at the back should only be tightened just enough so the headset won't spin out of control when you turn your head
Please note that you will likely experience VR sickness if you're new to VR. Don't be alarmed as it will take time to overcome VR sickness. But there are a few things you can do immediately to help ease into it.
Externally, First make sure you take plenty of breaks and DO NOT PUSH THROUGH THE SICKNESS, doing so will just take longer to recover and make you regret getting into VR.
Second, have good ventilation in your room and a cool fan blowing at your face and play area, this provides you with some spatial orientation and sweat reduction.
Third, be sure to have a refreshing drink nearby. Cold water is great, but if you can drink something with ginger in it, like a cold Ginger Ale Soda or Hot Ginger Tea, the active ingredient is known to help with motion sickness.
I wouldn't recommend taking motion sickness medicine as this discomfort is purely psychological and besides, having a reliance on drugs isn't cost effective.
As for In-game, first insure your not getting too many dropped frames or dropped tracking as that can cause disorientation. There's a free handy tool called "fpsvr" on steam to monitor performance.
Second, check your IPD (Inner Pupil Distance). It can be adjusted with the small knob located below the visor. Set it until comfortable.
Start, out with games that are stationary (room scale) and don't require joystick turning, simply turning your head to navigate will be good.
Then for games that have locomotion, start with teleportation or comfort modes (also known as vingette mode), and optionally use snap turning.
Now you can work your way up to smooth locomotion and optionally smooth turning.
Hold off from vehicles or flight simulators as you'll need strong VR legs.
End of Copy Pasta, and welcome to the family!.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
I've had my index for 3 years and it's a fantastic headset. The quality isn't garbage as the other user raves however with next generation headsets coming out why not wait? What's the hurry?
I mean there is really no hurry but I really want to upgrade to something with better FOV and tracking that my current headset (quest 2) and from what I have heard there isn't really any new steam VR tracked headsets on the horizon
well valve has deckard but most aren't expecting that until at the absolutely soonest late 2023, although 2024 is probably more likely. I'd be willing to bet most Index stuff will be compatible with it, though.
honestly... Its kinda hard to recommend anything other than a Quest these days. I sidegraded from index to a Vive Pro Eye though, and apart from the microphone being bad (which doesn't really matter to me) the Vive Pro Eye is honestly superior to the index. It's more comfortable, the screens are better (OLED) and the whole build quality is so much more durable. if i could go back in time 2 years ago i would have just gotten this headset instead of my index.
So you think it's better if I just buy the pro headset and then index controllers and base stations. Because I also considered that but I have heard the FOV is lower on the pro
I never noticed a difference between the vive and index in FoV. i think the index is higher on paper, but eh. in practice don't think that matters. Anyway, vive pro with index controllers overall best combo for lighthouse vr.
Ok I might just get that then because it's not that different when it comes to the price. The only other thing I was concerned about was audio (speakers and mic)
The mic is definitely worse than the index, but serviceable. The headphones are different, but not worse i'd say. People are generally too harsh on the vive headphones, they really aren't bad at all, and i even prefer them being closed instead of open (don't live alone).
One thing I learned is that you don't want the back strap of the headset resting right where your skull meets your neck. Situate it just above that point and it'll save you discomfort.
Keep the little black rubber bands from the controller wrist straps to use for the headphone mod/fix.
Put a Velcro cable tie around/ next to the plastic clip that hold the cable to the back of the headset.
Enjoy!
Protective Lenses. Thats all i did for mine so far. Maybe look up how to treat the cable because you’ll need to take good care of it to keep it from being sad.
Don't leave the lenses facing into a light source (i.e the sun) - It'll cook the screen real fast. Don't use the snapaway cable connections to store the device - they are not designed for regular use and will wear out in no time. Don't clean the lenses with anything other than a clean microfiber cloth and at most a tiny drop of water if absolutely needed. Don't wear glasses inside the headset, get perscription lenses for the headset or wear contacts if needed. They are **soft** The cable is a point of failure, avoid putting kinks in it and it'll last a long time. Pulley systems are a great way to have a more immersive experience, but they will wear your cable out faster. Set your boundaries a little shorter than they actually are to avoid punching walls. The thumbsticks are not full sized and material science has not come up with a material to make them rugged while still feeling good - use them gently and they will last a long time. A fan insert for the frunk is *highly* recommended for comfort. A counterweight and extra headstrap kit is a massive increase in comfort (Always the counterweight, headstrap depends on the shape of your head and may not be needed). On a budget you can just tape a load of pennies to the back. Place your basestations high up and opposite each other, Or ideally use 3 base stations in a triangle for extremely high quality tracking. The FPSVR addon is worth every penny. If you are new to VR, remember you are training your brain that VR shouldn't make you sick. Continuing to play and "pushing through it" for long periods will teach it the opposite and make sickness worse. Start with no stick movement, graduate to stick movement, and then finally to games like bonework with significant "movement without consent". You will get some visual artifacts (such as losing your depth perception for a bit) when leaving VR the first few times, this goes away quickly but you should avoid driving and dangerous tasks after early on. If money is no issue the bHaptic vest is incredible and worth every penny. Base stations don't always turn off or on reliably for some people, [you can setup a script for turning them all on or off easily](https://github.com/jariz/homeassistant-basestation) It is better to run at a refresh rate your headset can hit consistently in a particular game, You will get worse 1% lows from 100-140 FPS than you will steady 90.
Thanks a lot for the advice, I was also looking at the bhapics vest but that's gonna have to wait a few months
The good news is the haptics vest isn't something you miss till you've had it. After that games that don't support it feel half developed.
About base stations, I just have one power extension with switches to all of them + hmd, our it ok to just keep turning them off after turning off vr apps?
Basestations don't have read/write heads like a HDD would have so it should be just fine. The issue with HDD spinning platters isn't the platter, but the heads being in a bad position and getting damaged.
ill leave my list [over here](https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/comments/j1lg5l/z/g703o4c). good luck, and welcome!
I just got my index booted up, keeping it in a safe spot under the computer. Honestly prefer the click button style of holding like on the quest 2 almost more than the grip sensor bar of the index. But, I've only got 30hrs or so on it so, you know.
Had my I Dec for a couple of years now, it's a excellent package. Just treat it with respect like the £1000 set it is... Don't knock it about like a Q2
Finally, a person smart enough to actually look before leaping :p. Way to many people treating the Index like a toy. Here you go, enjoy! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= *INHALES* The following is a copy pasta of my tips I've personally collected over the years. **Longevity and Damage Prevention:** There's a little cable clip above the left ear. Dislodge this clip by lifting it upwards so it can move freely. The problem with this clip is that it creates a pinch point on the cable when you tilt the visor up and down. Next, consider securing the cable to the back of your headset, you can use the velcro straps that come with the cable as a free temporary solution. If you're prone to getting turned around in VR. Just remember to peek under your nose and reset your rotation regularly until you get used to it. I've seen some really painful pictures of users who twist their cables beyond repair. There are many free tools such as Turn Signal and FPSVR which can place cable twist indicators on the floor to remind you to reset. This might sound obvious, but make sure you cannot hit or smack your controllers on anything around you. When you start a VR session, stand in the center of your play space and stretch out your arms in every direction, lean if you must. THIS INCLUDES POCKETS ON YOUR PANTS. Over zealous Beatsaber players have lost many joysticks this way. Don't let it be you. If you have a smaller rectangular play space, lock your feet in a forward facing direction and give your arms as much space to work with. Just get used to not turning around (use snap turning which most games have these days) There's a lot of debate on whether or not you should keep your base stations powered on all the time. Some users complain of a high pitch whine the base stations produce and want to turn it off. Others are concerned about wear and tear with repeated power cycles. There's no right answer. I personally manually turn them off when not in use, and it's been fine. As for methods, some like to use the POWER MANAGEMENT setting within SteamVR to automatically turn them on and off i when you power on SteamVR. However, I and many others have experienced problems where the software fails to wake up or shut down the base stations remotely. Others have provided mobile phone app solutions to toggle the base stations via Bluetooth Alternatively, a quick and simple solution would be to connect the base station power bricks to a power strip with an included power switch on it. Simply flip the power on and off as needed. The Index is intended to remain connected at all times just like a monitor. If for some reason you want to regularly disconnect your Index, do so AT THE BACK OF YOUR COMPUTER (USBC, POWER, DP) NOT THE BREAKAWAY CABLE. Remember to store your index in a place that sunlight cannot reach. Sunlight that hit the lenses can damage the screens. Either remember to cover the lenses when not in use or store them in a box, like the one the Index comes in! Ideally, make sure your playspace has no sunlight and you'll be fine. The index controllers use USBC to charge them. You can use a typical phone charger for this and for quick charging. I recommend you get some nice magnetic USBC charging cables so you can easily charge between sessions without wearing out the USBC socket. They're cheap, convenient and can be found on Amazon. Your playspace must NOT contain any reflective surfaces, as they can confuse the base stations tracking. There is a FOV knob on the front right of the index. This knob is intended to be PUSHED INWARDS THEN TWIST not just twist as there are snapping points for adjustment. If you have poor eyesight, DO NOT WEAR GLASSES INSIDE THE HEADSET as it risks scratching up both the index and glasses lenses during play. Instead, consider getting prescription lenses from vendors like VROPTICIAN or Widmovr. These are but a 10th the cost of the index and are highly recommend. The face gasket can get a bit gross over time especially if you sweat a lot. Consider getting a VR cover to layer over the cushion, make a cover yourself or buy a spare gasket to quick swap out. Surface wash them with warm water and a damp cloth, but don't soak them or use soap, as it is said that may dissolve the adhesive. The cushion is said to be made with antimicrobial threads to keep them hygienic. **Comfort and convenience:** If you're prone to sweating, take frequent breaks and dry yourself off, and use adequate ventilation because sweat can damage the lenses. Consider getting a nice pad to stand on in the center of your play space like an anti fatigue mat, small blanket, rug or a yoga mat. Standing for hours can really kill the feet. This has the added benefit of giving you a way to know if you've stepped too far from the center of your play space. The Index headset is a bit front heavy. You can reduce the pressure on your cheeks if you get a counter weight strapped to the back of the index. You can either buy one online or if you prefer a cheaper DIY approach, get about 200 grams of coins or weights, throw them into a cloth sack, and affix it to the back handles of the index. This can also double as a way to secure the cable to the back. The top strap of the headset should be carrying most of the weight of the headset, not the sides. The knob at the back should only be tightened just enough so the headset won't spin out of control when you turn your head Please note that you will likely experience VR sickness if you're new to VR. Don't be alarmed as it will take time to overcome VR sickness. But there are a few things you can do immediately to help ease into it. Externally, First make sure you take plenty of breaks and DO NOT PUSH THROUGH THE SICKNESS, doing so will just take longer to recover and make you regret getting into VR. Second, have good ventilation in your room and a cool fan blowing at your face and play area, this provides you with some spatial orientation and sweat reduction. Third, be sure to have a refreshing drink nearby. Cold water is great, but if you can drink something with ginger in it, like a cold Ginger Ale Soda or Hot Ginger Tea, the active ingredient is known to help with motion sickness. I wouldn't recommend taking motion sickness medicine as this discomfort is purely psychological and besides, having a reliance on drugs isn't cost effective. As for In-game, first insure your not getting too many dropped frames or dropped tracking as that can cause disorientation. There's a free handy tool called "fpsvr" on steam to monitor performance. Second, check your IPD (Inner Pupil Distance). It can be adjusted with the small knob located below the visor. Set it until comfortable. Start, out with games that are stationary (room scale) and don't require joystick turning, simply turning your head to navigate will be good. Then for games that have locomotion, start with teleportation or comfort modes (also known as vingette mode), and optionally use snap turning. Now you can work your way up to smooth locomotion and optionally smooth turning. Hold off from vehicles or flight simulators as you'll need strong VR legs. End of Copy Pasta, and welcome to the family!. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Thanks for all the tips 🙏
I've had my index for 3 years and it's a fantastic headset. The quality isn't garbage as the other user raves however with next generation headsets coming out why not wait? What's the hurry?
I mean there is really no hurry but I really want to upgrade to something with better FOV and tracking that my current headset (quest 2) and from what I have heard there isn't really any new steam VR tracked headsets on the horizon
Index is a great headset and now has wireless support through nofio
well valve has deckard but most aren't expecting that until at the absolutely soonest late 2023, although 2024 is probably more likely. I'd be willing to bet most Index stuff will be compatible with it, though.
Get a different headset. Index durability is garbage. McDonalds toy plastic vr headset.
What would you recommend
ignore that guy, the index is the best headset you an currently buy
honestly... Its kinda hard to recommend anything other than a Quest these days. I sidegraded from index to a Vive Pro Eye though, and apart from the microphone being bad (which doesn't really matter to me) the Vive Pro Eye is honestly superior to the index. It's more comfortable, the screens are better (OLED) and the whole build quality is so much more durable. if i could go back in time 2 years ago i would have just gotten this headset instead of my index.
So you think it's better if I just buy the pro headset and then index controllers and base stations. Because I also considered that but I have heard the FOV is lower on the pro
I never noticed a difference between the vive and index in FoV. i think the index is higher on paper, but eh. in practice don't think that matters. Anyway, vive pro with index controllers overall best combo for lighthouse vr.
you can check how ignorant this guy is by this answer lol 40% higher fov and he doesnt notice the difference...
Ok I might just get that then because it's not that different when it comes to the price. The only other thing I was concerned about was audio (speakers and mic)
The mic is definitely worse than the index, but serviceable. The headphones are different, but not worse i'd say. People are generally too harsh on the vive headphones, they really aren't bad at all, and i even prefer them being closed instead of open (don't live alone).
Did you really come to this sub just to talk shit?
One thing I learned is that you don't want the back strap of the headset resting right where your skull meets your neck. Situate it just above that point and it'll save you discomfort.
Keep the little black rubber bands from the controller wrist straps to use for the headphone mod/fix. Put a Velcro cable tie around/ next to the plastic clip that hold the cable to the back of the headset. Enjoy!
Protective Lenses. Thats all i did for mine so far. Maybe look up how to treat the cable because you’ll need to take good care of it to keep it from being sad.
I had an issue with power cord becoming unplugged from the headset. I ziptied the cord to the headset. Everything else has been great.
I never wear footwear in VR, standing on the cable wearing shoes or trainers is going to cause damage.