Hey guys, so I got my Index today.
My headset history (of ones I've kept) are: CV1, Rift S, Quest
These are really first impressions versus the Rift S. The only reason I'm doing this is I wish someone posted this for me when I was deliberating over getting one.
I've loved them all my headsets to variable degrees. I was in the return window for my Rift S to be refunded for £399 so I thought long and hard about going to the Index eco system. Also, yes, the Oculus Link update did alleviate my apprehension about going to Valve as I still have a clear native foot in the Oculus door for AW, Stormland, et al.
Firstly the Rift S experience (which was for a couple of months. Boxing FOV with a really poor vertical resolution which is hard to get used to. My IPD is about 60 and it it felt blurry to look at without my glasses. With my glasses on, it was much better. The colours were okay. Not very vibrant or vivid and black levels were.. LCD. The screens are SO pristine. Glare is kept to a minimum. Audio was terrible and disgusting but remedied with KSC75s. The refresh rate of 80hz is fine... fine. The controllers felt like a very very slight step back from CV1 controllers due to the weight distribution feeling slightly less coomfy but overall best in class VR controller ergonomics of last gen can never really do any wrong. And of course, the software support for native Oculus titles and Oculus SDK games is ace. The tracking after the super tracking update was good enough to play any game.
Since the Link update, I found the FOV of the Rift S too claustrophobic despite the glasses relief put all the way to my face. The halo design left the actual lens bit sticking out.. a bit.. unstable. Like its not glued to your face like CV1/Vive/Index so it has a big of wiggle room. Maybe if you have a fatter head it might alleviatge this issue a bit.
Anyway, I've now messed around with the Index. Controllers are amazing. Finger tracking works for me and its crazy immersive. The setup took about the same time as the Rift S because time spent plugging in base stations was spent troubleshooting USB ports (we've all been there!). The actually controllers are actually very ergonomic and close to the touch ones. The finger tracking however is just slight years ahead for immersion in my opinion and although not flawless, is a step in the right direction. The audio is sublime. I had very big concerns it would suck or it wouldn't be good enough or would let too much sound in. It creates a clear ambiance of sound.
The biggest compliment I can give is they remind me of my KEF speakers or my AKG 712s. Every other headphone I own or speaker I've used, after a certain volume output.. the sound becomes over bearing but with high end speakers, you just want it to get louder and louder. Its the same with these. Although I do wish they were maybe 10-20% louder for poorly mastered games.
The glare on the Index is disgusting, I haven't seen it very often because but when its there.. its there.
The FOV is JUST RIGHT. Yes, I don't feel its mind blowing and next gen. I feel like this is the FOV which we deserve at this point of desktop VR. The vertical FOV feels perfect, the horizontal FOV is improved a lot. Is it better than the Rift S/CV1/Quest? Yes. Yes. Yes. Is it worth it? For me, Yes Yes YEs. This is akin to going from a 16:9 monitor to a 21:9 or 32:9 monitor but also with an increase in vertical. Its the little improvements in VR which make huge differences as we're at a prehistoric stage.
The lower persistence panels are no joke. At 90hz, this feels like the most smooth VR experience I've ever had. At 120hz, it feels better. But the point isn't the difference between 90 and 120. Its the fact that even at 90, these panels feel significantly smoother than the competition.
The colours are better. They are more vivid and life like. The SDE is even further diminished although that was also never an issue on the Rift.
I haven't used my glasses with this headset because after I found the perfect IPD, I didn't feel I had to.
The sweetspot is harder to find on the Rift S but the added comfort, ergonomics, build quality and higher level of adjustment and angle of the screen makes it still not a chore at all. The fit is also more malleable and versatile than the cheaper halo design.
I'm not going to go into build quality because it just blows the Rift S out of the water (magnetic faceplates, dials for everything, beautiful design, fov slider, better fit options, more comfortable controllers (sorry mamut grips but you don't cut it compared to these).
I'm an Oculus fan. Let me be honest. I try to stay impartial in VR but my headset history speaks for itself. I own nearly every single Oculus exclusive, I love their software and I defend their walled garden approach but the Index is just a way too superior headset, and its exacerbated by the short comings of the Rift S's hit to refresh rate, audio quality, physical IPD, build quality, fov, outdated controller input methods and lack of creativity.
If you have a Rift S and are in a return window or between headsets, consider an Index because its simply better. Its the next generation of VR from the older headsets because it minimises and removes barriers of immersion. Its lower persistence panels and higher refresh rate options increases immersion. Its off ear speaker design makes you feel more immersed as the sounds have waaaaaay more soundstage and the sensation of nothing on your ears is strangely awesome. The FOV is better and vertically, pretty much perfect. The colors are better but sadly not OLED. The glare is a big downer and where the Rift S excels. Its tracking is amazing and pinpoint but is reliant on sensors which are inconvienant. Its physical IPD adjustment means you get the sharpest image possible.
I know a lot of people will come into this thread saying "index is double/triple the price so obviously its better". But that doesn't tell the entire story. Most people that invest in a PCVR headset have already splashed out on a high end PC so for the extra £500, I can't help but feel that the all access pass to the base station eco system in the future will be better and the Index provide an absolutely worth while experience. This isn't about a higher spec sheet experience. The Index feels different, it feels high end and it makes me want to keep putting on the headset. I also wager that the Index controllers will not become obsolote for a very long time whilst Oculus surely now need to think about in the next few years updating the Touch controllers IF they care about being at the high end of VR.
TLDR
Index Pros vs Rift S
- Tracking, vertical and horizxontal FOV, resolution, SDE, IPD slider, sharpness, build quality, glasses support, controller input method, audio, overall experience of feeling like you're in vr, comfort, future proofed controllers + base stations,
Index Cons vs Rift S
- Glare, no inside out tracking so less versatile, QA issues
BTW QA issues, Its semi understandable why this headset as so many RMA issues. its just an incredible piece of tech which is setting the improving and introducing new tech for audio, visuals, build quality, fov, input methods for controllers... the list goes on.
To simplify this all, the Index wants me to keep playing VR.
My headset history (of ones I've kept) are: CV1, Rift S, Quest
These are really first impressions versus the Rift S. The only reason I'm doing this is I wish someone posted this for me when I was deliberating over getting one.
I've loved them all my headsets to variable degrees. I was in the return window for my Rift S to be refunded for £399 so I thought long and hard about going to the Index eco system. Also, yes, the Oculus Link update did alleviate my apprehension about going to Valve as I still have a clear native foot in the Oculus door for AW, Stormland, et al.
Firstly the Rift S experience (which was for a couple of months. Boxing FOV with a really poor vertical resolution which is hard to get used to. My IPD is about 60 and it it felt blurry to look at without my glasses. With my glasses on, it was much better. The colours were okay. Not very vibrant or vivid and black levels were.. LCD. The screens are SO pristine. Glare is kept to a minimum. Audio was terrible and disgusting but remedied with KSC75s. The refresh rate of 80hz is fine... fine. The controllers felt like a very very slight step back from CV1 controllers due to the weight distribution feeling slightly less coomfy but overall best in class VR controller ergonomics of last gen can never really do any wrong. And of course, the software support for native Oculus titles and Oculus SDK games is ace. The tracking after the super tracking update was good enough to play any game.
Since the Link update, I found the FOV of the Rift S too claustrophobic despite the glasses relief put all the way to my face. The halo design left the actual lens bit sticking out.. a bit.. unstable. Like its not glued to your face like CV1/Vive/Index so it has a big of wiggle room. Maybe if you have a fatter head it might alleviatge this issue a bit.
Anyway, I've now messed around with the Index. Controllers are amazing. Finger tracking works for me and its crazy immersive. The setup took about the same time as the Rift S because time spent plugging in base stations was spent troubleshooting USB ports (we've all been there!). The actually controllers are actually very ergonomic and close to the touch ones. The finger tracking however is just slight years ahead for immersion in my opinion and although not flawless, is a step in the right direction. The audio is sublime. I had very big concerns it would suck or it wouldn't be good enough or would let too much sound in. It creates a clear ambiance of sound.
The biggest compliment I can give is they remind me of my KEF speakers or my AKG 712s. Every other headphone I own or speaker I've used, after a certain volume output.. the sound becomes over bearing but with high end speakers, you just want it to get louder and louder. Its the same with these. Although I do wish they were maybe 10-20% louder for poorly mastered games.
The glare on the Index is disgusting, I haven't seen it very often because but when its there.. its there.
The FOV is JUST RIGHT. Yes, I don't feel its mind blowing and next gen. I feel like this is the FOV which we deserve at this point of desktop VR. The vertical FOV feels perfect, the horizontal FOV is improved a lot. Is it better than the Rift S/CV1/Quest? Yes. Yes. Yes. Is it worth it? For me, Yes Yes YEs. This is akin to going from a 16:9 monitor to a 21:9 or 32:9 monitor but also with an increase in vertical. Its the little improvements in VR which make huge differences as we're at a prehistoric stage.
The lower persistence panels are no joke. At 90hz, this feels like the most smooth VR experience I've ever had. At 120hz, it feels better. But the point isn't the difference between 90 and 120. Its the fact that even at 90, these panels feel significantly smoother than the competition.
The colours are better. They are more vivid and life like. The SDE is even further diminished although that was also never an issue on the Rift.
I haven't used my glasses with this headset because after I found the perfect IPD, I didn't feel I had to.
The sweetspot is harder to find on the Rift S but the added comfort, ergonomics, build quality and higher level of adjustment and angle of the screen makes it still not a chore at all. The fit is also more malleable and versatile than the cheaper halo design.
I'm not going to go into build quality because it just blows the Rift S out of the water (magnetic faceplates, dials for everything, beautiful design, fov slider, better fit options, more comfortable controllers (sorry mamut grips but you don't cut it compared to these).
I'm an Oculus fan. Let me be honest. I try to stay impartial in VR but my headset history speaks for itself. I own nearly every single Oculus exclusive, I love their software and I defend their walled garden approach but the Index is just a way too superior headset, and its exacerbated by the short comings of the Rift S's hit to refresh rate, audio quality, physical IPD, build quality, fov, outdated controller input methods and lack of creativity.
If you have a Rift S and are in a return window or between headsets, consider an Index because its simply better. Its the next generation of VR from the older headsets because it minimises and removes barriers of immersion. Its lower persistence panels and higher refresh rate options increases immersion. Its off ear speaker design makes you feel more immersed as the sounds have waaaaaay more soundstage and the sensation of nothing on your ears is strangely awesome. The FOV is better and vertically, pretty much perfect. The colors are better but sadly not OLED. The glare is a big downer and where the Rift S excels. Its tracking is amazing and pinpoint but is reliant on sensors which are inconvienant. Its physical IPD adjustment means you get the sharpest image possible.
I know a lot of people will come into this thread saying "index is double/triple the price so obviously its better". But that doesn't tell the entire story. Most people that invest in a PCVR headset have already splashed out on a high end PC so for the extra £500, I can't help but feel that the all access pass to the base station eco system in the future will be better and the Index provide an absolutely worth while experience. This isn't about a higher spec sheet experience. The Index feels different, it feels high end and it makes me want to keep putting on the headset. I also wager that the Index controllers will not become obsolote for a very long time whilst Oculus surely now need to think about in the next few years updating the Touch controllers IF they care about being at the high end of VR.
TLDR
Index Pros vs Rift S
- Tracking, vertical and horizxontal FOV, resolution, SDE, IPD slider, sharpness, build quality, glasses support, controller input method, audio, overall experience of feeling like you're in vr, comfort, future proofed controllers + base stations,
Index Cons vs Rift S
- Glare, no inside out tracking so less versatile, QA issues
BTW QA issues, Its semi understandable why this headset as so many RMA issues. its just an incredible piece of tech which is setting the improving and introducing new tech for audio, visuals, build quality, fov, input methods for controllers... the list goes on.
To simplify this all, the Index wants me to keep playing VR.
TBH they are NO where near as intrusive as the USB 3.0 wires I had all over my room with the CV1. plug them in, mount them, hide the wire. just looks like another security camera and quite stylish and small tbh.