Valve Index Controllers: Strapped & Trapped

My Valve Index Controllers came in yesterday and I have done some testing on it last night using Valve's own Aperture Hand Lab, which is a short finger tracking demo, and the game Half-Life: Alyx. I started off being very excited about the prospect but ended up finding the whole experience a bit clunky. Bear in mind that this is just a quick first impression after an hour and a half of playtime. My expectation of the peripherals' performance was apparently too high and I also know that I have gotten very comfortable with the HTC Vive Wands so trying out something totally new can be a bit challenging.

I love the cheeky Velcro moment found inside the box, Valve. Clever.

Feels Like $100, Just Not Built Like One

I have been thinking about upgrading my HTC Vive to a Valve Index over the past couple of months and after much contemplations, I have decided to do a half-upgrade. Since I can mix and match components of the Index with my current set, I ended up ordering just the Index Controllers. I haven't lived that long in virtual reality with Steam recording my playtime at 369 hours total since late 2016, which is about 90 hours a year, so I couldn't justify a huge investment on the far superior headset. I am still intrigued by the newfound freedom found with the Index Controllers however in both the finger tracking and object holding mechanics: I am really looking forward to experience these when they arrive in a couple of weeks. On top of the incoming controllers, I have upgraded my launch Vive with the Deluxe Audio Strap. I have been holding off from getting one all this time because I was certain that I would be upgrading my VR headset by now. To me, the default strap for the Vive has been working well though it took some time for the heaviness of the head mounted display on my face to normalize. Now, the Deluxe Audio Strap is ridiculously expensive at $100 and I have waited so long for the price to drop, in which it never did.

I really like the packaging. Just not a fan of the price.