Valve Index 2 rumors: Everything we know so far and what we want to see

Despite launching over four years ago, the Valve Index remains one of the most advanced PC VR headsets. Of course, there have been plenty of headsets since then, including cheaper options like the Quest 3. The good news for Valve is that its fans tend to be loyal, as evidenced by the fact more SteamVR users are utilizing the Valve Index over the more mainstream Meta Quest 3 as recently as August of 2024. The bad news is that this gap is shrinking fast as competition heats up. In addition to devices like the Meta Quest 3 we’ve also see the release of the high-end Vision Pro and there are upcoming devices like the Samsung XR around the corner as well. When will wee see a Valve Index 2, if ever? Here’s everything we know about the Valve Index 2 from current rumors, as well as what we’d like to see from it.

Will there be a Valve Index 2?

Oliver Cragg / Android Authority

Let’s not beat around the bush, we really don’t know for sure if there will be a new Valve Index or not, as the company hasn’t really said much one way or another as of late. There have been small signs over the years to suggest Valve isn’t done with VR, but it’s also not afraid to shelve or retool projects that aren’t work quite hitting the mark. Anything can happen. The VR industry continues to be a growing and evolving market with its own unique ebb and flow. We often see new products like the PSVR 2 and Meta Quest 3 spark new interest from mainstream consumers, only for VR to somewhat fade into the background once more. Rinse and repeat. As we mentioned briefly above, the market is again starting to heat up again and the Valve Index is no longer the shining industry example it once was, which just might drive Valve into releasing an Index 2.

While there aren’t any official details about Valve’s plans, at least a few rumors suggest Valve is working on something. For starters, a South Korean radio certification for a Valve product called 1030 surfaced in early 2024. This aligns with Valve’s previous internal labels for products, as the Steam Deck was listed as 1010, and the original Valve Index was previously listed as 1007. Judging by the numbers, this is more likely to be tied to the Steam Deck, but again we can’t say for sure. More compelling, Steam data miner Brad Lynch noted the Steam client’s September update included a number of VR-specific strings related to batteries, supporting the idea Valve might be working on a standalone VR headset.

Would this headset replace the Index or augment it as a cheaper mobile option? That’s harder to guess. What we do know is that the Valve Index is still considered one of the most powerful solutions for VR. This makes it not only popular with VR enthusiasts but also with businesses adopting VR for reasons beyond entertainment. That said, maybe they have seen the Quest’s success on the low end and want to go after a more mainstream audience.

Given this early evidence, we’d say it’s pretty likely an Index 2 will happen, it’s just much harder to gauge whether it will end up titled as a full successor or just the launch of a new product line. For now, we’ll continue to refer to it as the Valve Index 2 in this post, just for simplicity.

There have been a few recent patents for VR headset designs from Valve in 2023, but patents often are just about testing new things and don’t necessarily translate into real-world product changes. Still, it’s worth noting the most recent patent render didn’t look much different from the Valve Index — suggesting Valve is either playing its cards close to its vest, or it isn’t likely going to rock the boat too much on design.

Beyond that? If Valve is planning a more portable option, it’s possible it’ll make more modest changes to things like the display technology and field-of-view (FoV) to keep costs from ballooning too much. Valve is still one of the best with a 130-degree FoV, so it might not be necessary to revolutionize this aspect. Then again, if Valve is going all in, it might decide that keeping pricing down isn’t as important as staying on the bleeding edge of VR.

We also imagine Valve would at least want to match or slightly exceed the Quest 3’s 2,064 x 2,208 pixels per eye.

Tracking and controllers are other areas where Valve is likely to want to make improvements, which we’ll talk about a bit more in our “What we want to see” section.

Additionally, we must take into account Apple and its Vision Pro. The Apple VR headset costs $3,499. Why is this important? The Valve Index was one of the most powerful VR headsets at its launch, so it’s possible that the company might delve even deeper and deliver a more expensive headset to better compete with Apple. If that’s the case, the price could easily range from $1,200 to $1,600 and still be considered a more affordable alternative. It’s also worth noting the Samsung XR is expected to also have high-end specs and pricing.

Taking a step back, let’s not forget the rumors about the next Valve Index VR headset having a battery, which would make it more portable. Currently, we don’t know if this means Valve is planning to compete with the new Quest 3 or if it’s more likely to align with something like the $1,099 Vive XR Elite. If it’s the former, we could expect Valve to keep the price around $500 to $750. If it is planning a more high-end standalone product like the XR Elite, a price tag of $999 or higher would make a lot of sense.

Should you wait for the Valve Index 2?

If you are absolutely interested in the Valve Index series, yes, we’d wait. The Valve Index is currently almost five years old, so it’s not worth the hefty investment when it’s likely in its twilight years. There’s also the fact Samsung has its own device in the works.

If you’re just looking for a high-end VR headset and don’t want to wait for something that might not come anytime soon, the HTC Vive Pro 2 ($1251.99 at Amazon) would be a good choice as it’s only two years old and should have quite a lot of support left. You could also could consider the Apple Vision Pro ($3499 at Apple), though that’s a much steeper investment.

What if you’re hoping more for a stand-alone option? The Meta Quest 3 ($499.99 at Best Buy) could be worth the purchase if you don’t want something high-end. If you’re holding out hope the Index will have a higher-end stand-alone experience, we would actually wait to see what Valve delivers before considering something like the Vive Elite XR.

Base stations need to go away 

Most modern VR headsets have built-in cameras that help orient the device, eliminating the need for base stations in the process. In contrast, the Valve Index requires you to place base stations around a space in order for it to track the headset.

While base station tracking is arguably a bit more accurate, built-in camera solutions have come a long way recently. I’m hoping that the Valve Index 2 uses a camera solution that is effective enough to replace base stations altogether.

Controllers could use some refinement

Valve’s controllers are some of the best around, with great finger-tracking support and a fairly comfortable design. That said, they are a bit bulkier than other VR controllers and some buttons can be hard to reach for those with smaller hands. While I don’t want to see Valve dramatically change up its input devices, it would be nice to see a few refinements to make them more comfortable for all hand sizes. Better yet, Valve could give us two different controller sizes for those with larger or smaller hands.

At the same time, I’m really hoping that the Valve Index 2 isn’t a watered-down Meta Quest-style device. The Valve Index is one of the most powerful VR headsets even today, and so I hope to see the Valve Index 2 continue focusing on the high-end market. Of course, the best of both worlds would be to have a high-end Index headset that can still work stand-alone similar to the HTC Vive Elite XR, and a cheaper model that works more like the Meta Quest 3.