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Valve’s Index headset was a market leader among PC VR headsets for years, but is it still worth buying in 2025 now that it’s nearly six years old? Read on for our no-nonsense recommendation.

Valve Index is Not Worth Buying in 2025

As someone who used Valve Index as my daily driver for PC VR for years , I can safely say that this 2019 headset is no longer worth buying in 2025 for its ‘full kit’ price of $1,000. Although it still has some features that are still unmatched by other options (like its excellent headphones)—its cost, complexity, size, and aging specs mean I wouldn’t recommend it for most people.

For the average person looking for a high-quality PC VR experience, Quest 3 gets my recommendation thanks to its combination of price, ease-of-use, and visual quality.

Quest 3 has the best lenses on the market in terms of clarity and sweet spot, a significantly higher resolution than Index, and quality inside-out tracking (which means you don’t need to set up external tracking beacons like you’d need to with Index). Just make sure you add a better headstrap than what comes in the box, like the ANNAPRO Battery Head Strap, which not only makes the headset more comfortable but also has an on-board battery for counterbalancing the headset and extending your play sessions.

As a bonus, you don’t even need a tether when using Quest 3 for PC VR. Valve’s own Steam Link app on Quest 3 makes playing SteamVR games wirelessly a breeze. Steam Link skips the middleman of Meta’s Quest Link and takes you straight into your SteamVR library. Plus you’re getting a complete standalone headset with Quest 3; for games where graphics aren’t important, playing the standalone version on Quest 3 is even more convenient and portable.

Note: If you go the Quest 3 route, having a proper network setup is essential for a quality wireless VR experience.

Make sure your gaming PC is directly connected to your router via ethernet. Your router should be at least Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), but ideally Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax). If you’re upgrading an older router to make sure yours is ready for wireless VR, this is our recommendation. Ideally your router should also be in the same room where you’re gaming, but as long as it’s a room or two away, you should be fine.