Valve will have “far fewer” units of the Index VR hardware to sell during the coming months due to the impact of the Coronavirus.
In a statement released to UploadVR, Valve confirmed it is working to meet demand for the high-end Valve Index VR headset and they are reassuring prospective buyers that the system will be available to purchase again prior to the March launch of Half-Life: Alyx. The company says to receive a notification when the hardware is available again click “Notify Me” on its Steam page.
The Valve Index hardware includes a high-end PC VR headset and controllers which strap to the hands. They’ve been in high demand since the announcement of Half-Life: Alyx in November, and unavailable to purchase in recent weeks. Alyx was made alongside the Index controllers and fans are highly anticipating its release on March 23 as the first new game in the groundbreaking Half-Life franchise in more than a decade. Half-Life: Alyx should work with all PC VR headsets with tracked controllers, including Oculus Quest via the Oculus Link, but some optional interactions are only possible with the Index controllers.
Here’s the full statement from Valve:
With Half-Life: Alyx coming March 23rd, we are working hard to meet demand for the Valve Index and want to reassure everyone that Index systems will be available for purchase prior to the game’s launch. However, the global Coronavirus health crisis has impacted our production schedules so we will have far fewer units for sale during the coming months compared to the volumes we originally planned. Our entire team is working hard right now to maximize availability. To receive a notification as soon as the Valve Index is back in stock, please visit Steam and click “Notify Me.”
Broader Coronavirus Impact
Sony and Oculus will no longer appear at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco in March due to concerns related to the virus. The Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, meant to be held next week, was completely cancelled for similar reasons.
Facebook also said production of its Oculus Quest headset was likely to be impacted by the virus as the headset became unavailable to purchase in recent weeks.
