Valve's Index VR headset will go back on sale March 9th
The company expects stock to clear out quickly.
If you're itching to buy a Valve Index to get the 'official' Half-Life: Alyx experience, you'll soon have another chance... if you move quickly. A Valve spokesperson talking to Engadget has confirmed an earlier report that Index kits will once more be available to buy on March 9th at 1PM Eastern. However, it expects "high demand" to clear out stock of the VR headset that same day. Miss out on this batch and you'll have to settle for inventory on a first-come-first-serve basis, which could leave you waiting a while when the coronavirus outbreak has reduced production.
Valve had promised to restock the Index ahead of Alyx's March 23rd debut. This will help drive sales of both the headset and the game, of course, but there's also little doubt that the Index will provide one of the better experiences for the game, full stop. In our experience, it offers great image quality and motion tracking in a comfortable design with immersive controllers.
The catch, as usual, is that it's expensive. You're looking at $999 for a full kit if you're starting from scratch, and that's assuming you have a PC fast enough to handle the Index. You can buy considerably less expensive hardware if you just want a reasonably good experience. Don't despair if you can't get an Index, then, as there will be other headsets if your budget (or a shortage) rules out a top-range model like this.
