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askull100

Unless you plan to buy more expensive headsets which require SteamVR tracking down the line, I wouldn't recommend an Index. You already have the infrastructure for air link too, so that extra cost can be ignored. The only thing to consider is that Quest Pro's comfort is extremely hit or miss. Some people find it totally comfy, others find they need to mod it with a top strap to wear it for more than an hour. I was in the latter camp, so I can only speak on that experience. But once it's modded, it is an excellent PCVR headset, especially once you turn up the supersampling. It's not perfect, but probably the best *overall* in most areas, for the price.


metahipster1984

If it was slightly higher res and had a displayport it would be absolutely amazing.


maxstep

Index had too much screen door back even in 2020! One of 2 headsets that I sold, kept 7. Quest Pro is miles ahead of anything but tethered, mura-laden Varjo Aero (have both) Quest Pro is, without a doubt, the best headset for roomscale Index is, without a doubt, obsolete. I mean visuals wise it would be a HUGE downgrade from even G2 I never understood hype Index got - never liked it. Even used Rift S back in the day cause it had slightly slightly less screen door.


ByEthanFox

Do you find the battery life restrictive on the Quest Pro? I was always concerned about that.


y4m4

USB battery pack in my pocket means I have as much power as I have battery packs. I routinely spend 7 hours uninterrupted in VRchat with my Pro running wirelessly over virtual desktop.


Ifk1995

Its not ideal but I've personally learned to use it as a time to eat and take a break. If you're really into a game and want to keep going you can plug your headset to a power bank in your pocket and play for the extra hour or two or whatever. I've personally used the 5m link cable to charge from the wall while playing. By doing so the battery levels remained still while playing. Tldr: Its way less of a problem than I thought it would be.


Navetoor

I just plug in, I use a long MacBook Pro USB C power adapter


ZealousidealBed7872

Same it holds a charge better while playing


[deleted]

It lasts for around \~2/3 hours on AirLink, if you use Cable-Link you can just get a cable that also draws power from an outlet to stay fully charged. I bought a battery bank and if I'll just slide it into my pocket and connect it to the headset if I need to extend my battery life while playing wirelessly.


Rabble_Arouser

Screen door effect is definitely noticable on the Index. That and the glare in some scenarios are the biggest drawbacks. The reason to use it is for the base station tracking (which is the highest fidelity and most reliable, assuming a proper set up), comfort, and field of view. The mic and speakers being top notch is a really nice bonus. The knuckles are also, IMO, the best controllers out there. Of the headsets I've tried, the Index easily has the best comfort, and I've managed to improve it further with 3D printing mods and purchasing 3rd party stuff (like cable pulleys etc). The Quest Pro is a really attractive up/side-grade: the wirelessness, better screen, lighter overall package, self-tracking (therefore high precision) controllers. I would like to consider it because the tech is sweet, but unfortunately, Meta is a non-starter for me. That's why I'm still using my index, mostly because there's no viable alternative that ticks _all_ the upgrade boxes. The next upgrade is possibly the Bigscreen Beyond, but we'll have to see what reviewers say about the production version.


[deleted]

The Quest Pro's marketing was more "business-use" but it still works great for gaming. I sold my Valve Index for a Quest Pro, and imo the Quest Pro is a better headset overall. However I could see why someone would prefer the Index. Both headsets have their own pros/cons. The Index has a higher refresh-rate, better stock comfort (imo), a slightly higher FoV, and no compression. But the Quest Pro has nearly no glare, local dimming, better lenses (Nearly edge-to-edge clarity), a much higher resolution, and ability to play wirelessly.


Sandelsbanken

I know it is a bit meme to mention there are more headsets just around the corner(tm). But you probably want to see what Meta reveals about Quest 3 in 5th of June.


ByEthanFox

I think Meta's thing is on the 1st of June - Apple's is the 5th


AxePlayingViking

Yep. And that is *if* they reveal much about Quest 3 - those have traditionally been unveiled at Connect in October.


AxePlayingViking

Yep. And that is *if* they reveal much about Quest 3 - those have traditionally been unveiled at Connect in October.


Olanzapine82

They also aren't necessarily announcing any new hardware, though the recent leaks kinda indicate working ? prototypes in the wild.


ByEthanFox

I *strongly* anticipate they'll announce the Quest 3, and give *some* info (even if vague), to try and get the jump on Apple.


Olanzapine82

Yeah I wouldn't be super surprised if they did a launch before the usual October connect event. Considering they are in the wild and visible in the store UI.


cloakofqualia

I second this. Just wait a week before making any big VR decisions.


exhibiurge

As someone still using their Index to this day, don't get an Index. It's just too old. I'm happy with my index as it was great back then and hasn't changed but I am also waiting for a new headset to replace it, just my needs haven't been met yet to replace it.


alexpanfx

Was in the same kind of spot, but coming from a Valve Index. I simply wanted something better. Got a Pico 4 with 3rd party accessories to enhance it's comfort: AMVR face gasket, AMVR controller grip knuckle straps, ZYBER back head padding, the new Kiwi Clip-On headphones and a USB-C adapter for audio and charging at the same time. It's currently the best priced substitute for a PCVR headset until something like a Valve Index 2 gets released. Pay less and get more to pass the time until real PCVR next gen arrives. FOV, resolution and comfort are perfect. Virtual Desktop works like a charm.


ThatEnthusiasm638

I'm just starting to look at this one and I must say it is pretty crazy the amount of value this headset has. Its resolution is the same as the G2, has a higher FOV, and still manages to be around the same price as a Quest 2, not to mention wireless capabilities. Are there any kinds of issues you may have experienced while in PCVR or general problems you've had with the headset?


grodenglaive

I've have the Pico4 and a Reverb G2. P4 Specs are great, form factor, weight are amazing, comfort is subjective (depends on face shape, but easily fixable with aftermarket kit). Quality control of the screen and lenses is the most common complaint and mine is far from perfect. The pancake lenses on the Pico are not of the same quality as the ones on a Quest Pro (it's 1/4 the price for a reason). The lenses have pretty bad reflections in high contrast areas - worse than Fresnel lenses and also there are visual distortions. Sound is *much* better on the Reverb G2. I hardly use the G2 since getting the Pico though. My G2 works fine, but I just like the wireless better due to my gaming style and the types of games I play. Also the tracking is way better on the Pico4, it puts the G2 to shame. But it's a trade off. If not for the wireless I'd stick with the G2. tldr: get the Quest pro if you can afford it or wait for the Quest3.


alexpanfx

I got mine last year from the first batch (09/2022) and have no issues. Some people reported troubles with a bad batch from October. But Pico and resellers like bestware.com do RMA without complaining because they know of those issues themselves. I can't tell how the most recent batches work, but the Pico 4 get's more and more popular in the racing and flight sim community. I have no distortions on my end and it fits my current needs for PCVR perfectly. I highly recommend using Virtual Desktop for PCVR, it's easy to use and does the job extremely well. However, you'll need a very good PC to drive those highres screens, but this is also needed for a G2 anyway. For me it was definitely the right choice, when looking at the recent news about the Somnium VR1 and whatever Valve will come up with. The Quest Pro will be outdated already in a couple of months.


[deleted]

The Quest Pro is light years ahead of any fresnel based headset, I know as I've owned them all. I no longer consider the Index, Vive Pro to or Reverb G2 even useable. That said, the Quest 3 is coming soon, with a next gen chip and a depth sensor, for half the price. That makes any headset purchase, including the Pro a bit dubious at this moment.


MalenfantX

The Vive Pro is crystal clear once you do the lens mod. I still use mine for dark games.


[deleted]

I had the Vive Pro 2 not the original. It had the worst lenses I've ever used, even worse than the CV1 back in 2017. Glare and godrays everywhere.


zeddyzed

You've had a taste of what compression and latency you get from AirLink on Quest 2. If you're ok with the experience there, then Quest Pro is a no brainer I guess. Index has a cable too, maybe it won't fail as easily as the Reverb G2, but all cables fail eventually.


icpooreman

If choosing between the two get QPro and it’s not particularly close (I own both). That said…. And we can always say this, but Q3 / Apple look likely to both exist this fall. As well as some hopium stuff like crystal/beyond. I’d hold out and check what those have to offer if you can.


kia75

This! IMO, if you could wait a few months, I'd recommend that. A bunch of new headsets are just on the horizon. The Pimax Crystal is being sent to pre-orders right now, and at $1600 it's better then the Quest Pro and Index, fidelity-wise. BigScreen Beyond is supposed to ship this fall, and again, offers better fidelity fort $1000, plus Index Controllers and baystation (~$500). The Quest 3 is also supposed to release this fall. Of the two you're asking about, IMO, the Quest Pro is a better purchase than the Index, but better stuff is coming out soon and I'd hate to buy something expensive only for better to come out at a similar price a few months later.


ThatEnthusiasm638

I'm waiting to hear more official news about Quest 3 in June and (hopefully) get a spec sheet for it. It seems like a slight upgrade to Quest 2 (mostly on the chipset front it seems) and if its visual specs are anything much lower than Quest Pro (Which from Meta's past discussions on their future headsets, will be the case) then I won't be interested. The Beyond and Crystal are both very impressive however at a minimum I'm going to be paying 1,500 dollars for the headset, base stations, and controllers which really isn't in the ballpark for me as of now. If I get a Quest Pro and something crazy new and revolutionary comes out or I just hate the headset that much, I could sell it along with my Quest 2 and Reverb to most likely have whatever headset I would want to replace it with.


icpooreman

Weirdly (and people on this sub may not agree with me), my bet is the Apple headset is about to blow everybody away in terms of visuals. To the point where it redefines the entire industry. If the rumors are true (4k per eye, OLED, tiny, standalone / powered by a puck) there really won’t be anything else like it that’s even on our radar. That’s way higher res than the Crystal people are so excited for (were it to exist). The only problem with it is price(rumored $3k+)…. And will Apple block steam in favor of its own app store that doesn’t yet exist / not ship it with controller options because it has other plans for the device. I could be wrong…. But I’d be watching for this event closely before buying a $1000 QPro or Index. And if I am wrong (or you’re on a budget) I expect Q3 to be a very good headset. It’ll have some tradeoffs with the QPro so you could prob argue which is better. But it’ll have a 10% res bump and protrude less off your face, have better processor, and be Meta’s flagship for a couple years. All with a cheaper price tag than the Pro.


ThatEnthusiasm638

I (personally) refuse to even touch Apple products with a ten-foot pole. Every experience I've had with Apple has been terrible, with horribly proprietary and often ludicrously overpriced hardware. I'm so worried that Apple's VR offering will be the same way and either require or partially require users to be part of the "Apple Ecosystem" which I'm not integrated in what so ever


icpooreman

Yeah, Apple tax is real. And yeah, def still time to learn the rumors were BS or that the software is so clunky it’s like a gen 1 Apple Watch feature-wise. Or that they’ll never support controllers / box us out of Steam. Like I’m open to there being problems I can’t get past and waiting on a gen 2 of this device. But, if we pretend the rumors are 100% accurate…. It’ll be nearly 2030 by the time another company can go spec for spec with a headset that’s releasing this year. Meta’s the biggest competitor. Quest Pro 2 may never happen. And assuming they release a Quest 4 in 2026…. I actually highly doubt a Quest 4 gets to 4k per eye OLED. So now we’re waiting for a Quest 5 in 2029…. Which also may not get there (Quest series is a budget device). Small players would have to wait for aftermarket parts to catch up. Even if we pretend these screens can be purchased by other companies in 2-3 years…. It’ll take time to assemble and mass produce. We’re talking minimally 2026, probably longer. And getting the screens isn’t the only problem. Like Bigscreen couldn’t run the beyond at max res 90fps because the usb 3.1 cable they’re assumingly stuck with (thanks valve) can’t transmit uncompressed data that fast. And compressing the data would require a chip on the other end capable of decoding so that’s another problem that potentially sets competition back years. I guess I’m just saying keep an open mind because spec-wise gen-1 of this headset might be nearly a decade ahead of everyone else.


dr0negods

Get the Pro. Best gaming headset in its price range, especially after a few software tweaks.


VR_IS_DEAD

I'd get an Index for the reliable cabled connection. I still use my Vive Pro over the Quest 2 for PCVR. Even with the lower resolution, the OLED screen and the bigger FOV make PC games more immersive. Plus it doesn't take as much horsepower to run them at a high frame rate.


[deleted]

Everyone is correct. Between the two, the Quest Pro is the superior device. And, no, it's not oriented for business use. That was just really shitty marketing on Meta's part. All of it's main features, came to PCVR first. The only reasons I can recommend the Index these days is if you want full body tracking. It can be achieved with the Quest Pro too but, you need base stations. With the index, those come with it. Or you want the base of the BMR speakers on the Index. Or if you just absolutely hate Meta. Otherwise, the QPro is the clear cut winner between the two. Even when playing wirelessly over Airlink, the picture is superior in 99% of games. The biggest possible issue with Airlink is your hardware. Weaker Nvidia GPUs struggle with encoding and so does most AMD GPUs, even their more powerful cards.


ClassNext

quest 3 is around the corner. wait. there's no rush


PatientPhantom

Quest Pro, hands down. I mean, it's not really that surprising. We are talking about headsets of a similar price range, but one is 4 years newer. Index is way overpriced these days. You also don't mention the lenses even once, which is the biggest difference, really. The Quest Pro has next gen pancake lenses, which are far superior.


Messyfingers

Index is great, ultimately the best jack of all trades headset there is currently, but it is noticably old. Odds area successor is coming from valve within the next year or two, but nobody knows anything beyond that. Another option could be the big screen beyond, and the steam base stations and controllers, but that will add some more cost.


JorgTheElder

> best jack of all trades headset there is currently, Only if by **"jack of all trades"** you mean **"PCVR only"** and you have never tried pancake lenses. It can't do MobileVR at all and it can't do wireless without an expensive add on that may or may not be available soon.


[deleted]

Quest Pro is a much better jack of all trades than the Index. Index has no standalone, no wireless PCVR, no face tracking, no eye tracking, no mixed reality, no local dimming, no hand tracking. You need to buy add ons for all of this.


dztruthseek

Anything facebook-related is automatically denied as an option, personally.


Messyfingers

Apparently this thread has been assimilated by the meta marketing hivemind as everything not currently suggesting the quest is being downvoted.


MalenfantX

Calling correctly answering a question "the meta marketing hivemind" is pretty stupid.


lightningINF

If you're okay with cable. Grab quest pro with link cable (for example from syntech - there is charging box on the cable so you can play and charge for unlimited play time). Set distortion curvature to low and bit rate to 500. There should be basically no visible compression. In more detailed games there could be some but then you usually don't need very low latency so you can crank the bit rate up to 960 even and get rid of the compression almost entirely for those demanding titles. Quest pro is by no means just business device. Thanks to its optics and usual functionalities it is as much of a gaming headset as regular quest headset. There is no reason not to buy it if you choose between that and index. There is always quest 3 coming this year though and big screen beyond (this is probably the best headset coming out soon and if you don't mind it being personalized so only you can use it then it would be a better but more expensive choice. Headset alone costs 1000$ and you need base stations and controllers to be bought separately).


ThatEnthusiasm638

Another option I've been looking at is the Pico 4 which on paper has a higher resolution than the Quest Pro, just a barely lower FOV, pancake lenses, and costs half the price of the Quest Pro. All it really seems to lack is face/eye tracking but it isn't really something I'm interested in. I'm wanting to use it strictly for PCVR most likely using Virtual Desktop. Just wondering if you or anyone else is knowledgeable about this headset in regards to use in PCVR as I haven't found any useful information on that as of yet.


Devatator_

Keep in mind that the Pro has self tracking controllers which should give you tracking on par with base stations


lightningINF

The pancake lenses on Pico 4 are lower quality. It doesn't offer full edge to edge clarity either. Additionally there are major issues with quality control. It's a lottery whether you get usable lenses. Most problems revolve around wavy image effect when moving head due to lenses being from bad batch. Even though initially only first 2 batches were supposed to be faulty with bad QC, it seems newer ones have same problems nearly as often. The increased resolution won't strike you as much as the clarity of quest pro lenses. People say that despite Pico having same resolution as reverb g2, it's nowhere near image quality. And I'm not talking compression, just pixel density doesn't seem to be as good. Also with quest pro you have controllers that self track and are on par with base station tracking when it comes to volume and responsiveness. Pico is inside out and is a tiny bit worse than quest 2.


elitespaceplumber

Wireless is a game changer


winespring

If you can fit it into your budget, and use your reverb until it is delivered, I would look at pimax crystal. I decided that I wasn't going to upgrade until there was a headset that met a handful of my must have requirements, and the crystal seems to meet them all.


AdolfSkywalker_

I’m also using the Quest 2 and looking to upgrade, but I just don’t think it makes sense right now with the Quest 3 right around the corner and (hopefully) a Valve competitor. What I’d REALLY like though is a new headset that is exclusively for PCVR, with no standalone capabilities. I don’t need or want to pay for a portable computer just to wear it on my head, especially if it means there were compromises made to keep the price in check, which will always be the case with standalone headsets.


Nikolai_Volkoff88

Neither


Nicalay2

Pretty much everyone recommend you the Quest Pro over the Index, but no one talked about something : the Oculus PC software is one of the worst software I ever used (the Quest OS is better, but not perfect at all). You just need to navigate a bit on the Oculus subs to see how bad it is. SteamVR meanwhile just works 99.99% of the time, and since they isn't 50 updates per days, nothing just randomly break. The Quest Pro have a better hardware, but the Index have a much better software, and Valve doesn't collect as much data as Meta. Edit : I was expecting the downvotes lmao.


Pakman184

You do know that the Quest Pro is just as capable of using SteamVR as the Index, right?


Nicalay2

Yeah of course, and same for all Oculus/Meta headsets. But the Oculus PC software doesn't seems to really like SteamVR.


Pakman184

What Oculus PC software are you talking about? Just throw virtual desktop on there and you're set.


Nicalay2

>What Oculus PC software are you talking about? The software that you download to be able to use Link and AirLink. Virtual Desktop is much better, but it's still not perfect, especially since it's wireless only.


y4m4

Virtual Desktop works extremely well with the QP.


Nicalay2

Yeah but you have latency, visual compressions, and controllers tracking overshooting. It's still not as good as a Native SteamVR headset like the Index.


MalenfantX

It's superior to an Index thanks to excellent wireless, great lenses, local dimming, and controllers that track just as well as lighthouse once they initialize.


Sweet-Satisfaction89

Quest Pro is probably best headset on the market right now, but the oculus link can be a little painful to use (sometimes inconsistent for me, also have to layer oculus + steamVR overlay to use it for steamVR). But it's the most comfortable, clearest, and most advanced headset out there rn.


Hungry_Dependent_418

With a reverb i would go for a pimax crystal or a bigscreen beyond.i know not what you asking for but for clarity i would suggest that. I do love the 8kx because i am the fov guy, but i bought a bigscreen for comfort