Notice anything different about SteamVR games today? No? New tie, or haircut, perhaps? Actually it’s just that the Valve Index icon is now featured on compatible games’ store listings. In fact, VR support on the wider Steam platform seems to have had a bit of a minor refresh.
Index is already listed on a huge number of VR apps, games and DLC (about 2,400 at the time of writing but that number appears to be increasing). These listings were not added by developers themselves according to those we’ve spoken to. Still, any game with SteamVR support should theoretically already support Index, certainly with a pair of HTC Vive controllers. What’s not clear is if these listed games will feature native support for the Index Controllers. The controllers include new finger-tracking features not supported in other VR input devices.
There’s also a few small tweaks to how you search for VR games on Steam now. Instead of listing every icon for supported headsets, VR games now simply state whether they’re ‘VR Supported’ or ‘VR Only’. If you hover your mouse over one you’ll then see specifically what headsets are supported. Nothing major, but it tidies Steam up a bit as the number of headset types continues to grow.
Index is set to ship later this month and we’re pretty darn excited about it. The headset alone costs $499.99 and works with your current Vive base stations and controllers. A $999.99 package also includes the new SteamVR 2.0 Base Stations and Index Controllers. If you order one now you’ll likely be waiting until late September before you get one. We’ll bring you more as headsets finally start arriving on doorsteps.
