Vive Pro vs Valve Index

This is a sponsored video. I received the Vive Pro for free in exchange for this review. For most of the review I compare it with the Valve Index because I think they're in direct competition with each other. And there are pro's and con's to both headsets. All links are below.

[BenPlaysVR]

To further clarify a few points, because I think there's some misconceptions in the comments:

1. The contrast comparison (and in fact all the footage) was recorded and displayed by me, and not provided by any company. The contrast example I made to show how it felt to me subjectively in dark scenes.
In hindsight, I should have showed more examples in bright scenes for more variety of image comparisons, instead of just dark scenes. To show that the Index looks spectacular most of the time. But I stand by what I said in the video: Dark scenes have a visible difference between OLED and LCD displays.


3. In the end I think the Index is obviously the overall winner. At 11:36 the Index won 4 categories compared to the Pro winning 2 categories. Just because the Pro has 2 good points doesn't make it the overall winner.

Thanks for watching!!

[gimmesalt]

holy shit the microphone from the index is impressive...holy...well i guess the important stuff like field of view wins the index but a OLED Screen is something you may miss if its gone.

[spectrex]

Great comparison in general. I believe the refresh rate comparison was missed. Constructive feedback. But great coverage in general

[toastee]

overall a pretty good comparison but I've got a couple of issues with it.
1. you didn't mention the benefits of the LCD screen, having much less screen door effect at the cost of slightly worse contrast, meaning you get a sharper image, which is a good trade-off imo.
2. you also didn't mention the much, much higher refresh rate of the index, being able to go up to 120hz or an experimental 144hz mode.
3. the index has a few small hardware things to it, such as an insert for smaller heads, and that front trunk thing with a USB port which opens up a lot of modding possibilities from third parties or valve themselves, such as wireless adapters.

overall pretty good comparison, just wanted to point these things out for anyone who's still deciding. really the only reason to go with the vive pro is if you can't live without the colors from an OLED screen, or if you really want that wireless adapter, although you're paying at least 100 dollars more for just the HMD and wireless adapter, paying 400 more if you want the headset with old Vive controllers and base stations, and paying 600 more if you want the 2.0 base stations and new controllers. it really isnt worth it imo, the pro is very obviously aimed at businesses which seems to be HTCs main market right now, while the index is meant for consumer VR.

[lojanoftheshire]

The gray filter you put on the Index footage is RIDICULOUS. But the rest of the video is pretty accurate.

[LonSeidman]

I started with the OG Vive and bought the Index. I returned the Index and bought the Vive Pro when it was on sale for Prime Day. I'm much happier with the Pro. No matter how I adjusted the Index I was getting a "jelly vision" effect that would not go away. I do miss the field of view on the Index but the image quality is better out of the Pro's OLEDs. The Index has a frame rate advantage but getting 120 or 144fps is just not realistic given the current state of GPUs IMHO. For audio I removed the included headset and used my own headphones with an adapter.

[xandersore]

I think the vive pro + wireless adapter + index controllers is a great combo cause you have OLED, 90hz, a pretty high resolution, and Wireless support.

[cheatingthesystem]

Was definitely expecting to see some mention of panel refresh rate, as that's a key feature for the Index. Not mentioning it seems like an unfair balance against the Vive PRO locked to 90hz

[zzzzzzzzzzz]

I absolutely agree with you on the contrast.. that's the only reason I still use a Vive Pro.. most people don't care but I just need the color

[AdamsSIMporium]

Ben, you honestly MUST try the Gear VR lens mod in your Pro. For me, it makes the Pro the best HMD by far (I refunded the Index). You can buy the lenses already fitted in the required plastic housing for a small price. This mod increases clarity and almost completely removes all glare and god rays!!! It's a VERY easy mod and takes a few minutes, the lenses just pop out and push back in.


I also own the headphones mod you mention, they are good and add a little bass, but nothing game changing. On an audio note, for sim racers like me with a motion platform etc, the Index audio solution was a no go, I could ear the sound of all my kit.

[Skeeva]

Great video, Ben!
My favorite part of my Valve Index is that buttery smooth 120/144hz refresh rate! It really adds to the overall immersion.

[wmx]

The waterproof VR covers for Vive Pro are thin and bring the lens very close to your eyes. Makes FOV appear larger too

[ShmeatPacker]

The only VR headset I've ever owned was the PSVR. It's a lotta fun, but I missed out on so many great games. Since I made good deployment money I figured I'd treat myself to a new beast of a computer and a Valve Index. This video really helped me choose between the Vive Pro and the Index.

Thanks!

[McShizzle]

I'm sticking to the og Vive but I am looking into get the index controllers. They seem like a must

[OVERLAPE]

Truly admire and appreciate your sincerity and objectivity with the review!! Wish you great success!

[Adtr]

I think the 2.0 lighthouses have other benefits like sub milimeter tracking, better at dealing with occlusion, and better at tracking well when you're in "blind sports" where you're 45 degrees to one station.

When you say "display, " what about pixel response time, subpixel arrangement, frame rate, and so on? I love my Vive's contrast and might bring it our for small horror game, but I've heard that a lot of Vive Pro users are upgrading to the Index and consider the display's benefits to outweigh the darkness contrast. Have you tried the Quest, it has a similar resolution to the Pro in an OLED panel.

[RCrider]

The VivePRO paired with wireless & the index controllers is an amazing experience I must say, once you go wireless there’s no going back to the “ball & chain”I see no need to upgrade for years to come in my opinion... at least until someone builds a HMD with wireless built in, which HTC missed the ball totally on that one with the Cosmos, that option would have set the bar and made all other HMD’s pointless to buy.

[AlexDubois]

I "scratched/blurred" my original Vive with my glasses (which probably have a harder glass) by having them too close to get a better FOV. So be careful and make sure your glasses do not touch the Fresnel lenses.

[DH___]

I appreciate the honesty and depth of this review. I like that you told us what you received from the company’s that’s super cool. An expensive VR headset is a big purchasing decision for a ton of people so thank you 👍🏻

[Jay-Dot]

I really need to order the prescription lenses. I have the same problem with the nose cover and my glasses always get smudged up and bothers me if I'm playing.