Valve can't get enough of its hint - the VR headset sold out before the release of Half-Life: Alyx in March - despite the cost of the hardware - but more units are promised to arrive. The Alyx hype means that the Tube Index sold out almost immediately in the US and Canada, as you may recall, but the problem now is that the hardware is out of stock. stock practically all over the world. And when we talk about hardware, we're not just talking about the complete set, but also the standalone headphones or the standalone drivers, all with the sole exception of Japan (where you can still buy the headphones plus the drivers, or the standalone headset). As Road to VR reports, on the Steam product page of the Index, Valve has implemented a "notify me" button so people can sign up to receive notifications when units are back in stock in their particular region. Also, on the subject of out-of-stock inventory, a Valve spokesperson told the website: "We are working hard to build more units to meet the high demand." Our goal is to be back in stock before the release of Half-Life: Alyx. Now, that statement doesn't seem confident to us, essentially saying that the company is aiming, another word that could stand in for hope, to have more units ready before the Alyx launch, which seems to suggest that realization won't necessarily come.
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Of course, Index isn't the only way to play Half-Life: Alyx - it's compatible with a wide range of VR hardware, as part of the grand plan to bring the game to VR. it's to make sure the new Half-Life episode is widely accessible (it'll even work with the Oculus Quest via the Oculus Link cable and Windows Mixed Reality headset). However, Valve made a nice song and dance about how their Index headset will deliver the best VR experience for gaming, for example with finger tracking across the controllers (fact is, Index isn't a great full material, as we covered in our full review of the device). The Alyx was developed with the VR capabilities of Valve's Index in mind, which certainly gives the headset an edge. So the potential problem here is that Valve has pushed the Index along these lines for better gaming, and the fans who have been left behind in this clamor for headsets, wanting this better experience. , you may be quite angry that they will potentially be looking for units since the Alyx release date is known quickly. It seems Valve miscalculated a bit here and underestimated the demand for a new Half-Life game, even if it was obviously the idea of using a massive franchise to release VR games and sales of its own VR hardware. So, it's a bit strange, in a way, unless Valve has encountered unexpected production difficulties. Or the more conspiracy-prone types might even argue that out-of-stock issues are contributing to the hype for Alyx and VR in general. Regardless, while Valve doesn't seem so sure about the actions, we can only hope that the company is cautious with its statement, and it actually isn't. There will be no problems for those who want to buy an index in the coming months. As always, only time will tell.