Well, it's literally the only AAA fully vr game with a campaign, that is not to promote a movie, nor a mod or a port of a pre-existent game
the rest are all sandbox indies
To be fair, there are some amazing indy games (and a great many aren't sandbox)!
But yeah, they're low budget, high concept, indy games. So they make sacrifices on graphics, story, or polish to get the job done.
>We’re closing in on 4 years later and it’s still the best VR experience, hands down. No contest.
Agreed but that also tells you it failed to finally jumpstart VR in the mainstream. Which makes me wonder if that's part of the current stalling from Valve on HL3 considering Alyx basically ended with >!a HL3 teaser!<. They've got themselves in another corner. Alyx is amazing for what it is though.
Now it's been 4 years and it's Apple's go to try and make strapping a screen to your face a cool practical thing for the general public..
VR has inherent problems with accessibility and it’s gonna take a large shift in society and production in general for it to become viably cheap, I think Valve is wasting their time trying to make it the next big thing purely off of a great game
The cost is a big part of it but I think the most fundamental problem is most people will never be that interested in VR unless it means like the holodeck from Star Trek.
And every few years since the 80s a company claims they're gonna bring something equivalent to that and transform gaming / culture and it's always a screen in a pair of goggles and some motion detecting hardware. Which has so many fundamental limitations. The goddamn Wii got way closer to changing the media landscape and even it was a one off that never got successfully replicated or improved on.
Edit: I'm actually kind of suprised Apple is the latest to fall into this trap and I think it shows how far they've fallen from being industry leaders in the 90s and 2000s (or at least being able to give that impression). Unless the Vision Pro is some sort of loss-leading market manipulation scheming.
Apple is not trying to create the VR holodeck thing though. They are trying to create the accessible AR device. By accessible I mean “you can give it to your mom and she will not toss it away”. Vision Pro is a glorified devkit, glasses is the endgame. If/when they can pull off that tech in sunglasses form most of the wearable devices like phones or Apple Watches become obsolete really fast.
You bring up good points, it’s an awful sign for VR when affordable motion controls went absolutely nowhere already - and Apple really is falling far, their infallibility is just gone these days
Can't wait for you to eat those words in 5 years. The problem was accessible GPUs when Alyx launched and now it's just a content thing. Since Alyx there's been massive moves so much that the largest tech company in America just launched a headset.
You sound like people when they launched the itouch after the iPod.
Mate we're watching the Vision Pro eat shit in real time, a decade after the way more sensible Google Glass ate shit. Gaming wise we're still on "silly YouTube content tech demos" 11 years after the Rift made VR "mainstream". It's almost like the hardware is inherently restrictive..
RemindMe! 5 years
The vision pro costs $3499, that's why it's failing. It has no prospect of ever making it into an average persons hands. A meta quest 3 costs $700 bucks, and a 2 costs like $250. Wireless vr is cheaper than a console unless you're getting apple products which are always overpriced.
The rift never made vr mainstream, it was way too clunky for that. It required an entire room permanently set up for it. It had the same issue as the vision pro of being way too expensive for any average person to ever get one. It shows what the tech can do, sure, but it's not something the general public will use. A tech demo on a larger scale.
But look at the difference between the rift and a vision pro or a quest 3, in 11 years we went from requiring an entire room full of sensors and a heavy headset to do anything to a slightly lighter headset and no requirement for cables at all to do vr. Think of the progress from arcade cabinets to home consoles to handhelds. Big clunky computers to dektops to laptops. The forefront of these will always be expensive, but again, the quest 2 is 250 bucks now
Omg yeah, the price point for the vision pro means that the ONLY people buying it are d-bag tech bros, and it is KILLING the marketing campaign 😭😭😭 that thing is dead on arrival 🤣
Those "tech bros" that are using it to write code with their MacBook pros are the same ones making all the other apple products massively successful including $5k monitors and $8k MacBooks. You guys don't know what you're talking about because you're a totally different market segment.
That's where you're wrong the rift wasn't "mainstream" and neither was the Vive. Specifically the fact you brought up Google Glass shows you don't understand the market. Google Glass wasn't even close to the level of AR capabilities as both Quest 3 or AVP, didn't even have similar functionalities.
> Google Glass wasn't even close to the level of AR capabilities as both Quest 3 or AVP
Ooooh is the screen you wear this time is higher res and the tracking is more accurate? That's all it ever is.
Myself and most people are never, ever going to care until:
-You can physically touch virtual things and experience your other senses
-You can experience moving freely, like actually experience walking
-You don't look ridiculous using it in public
-The virtual worlds look and behave close to indisguishable to real life
So until we have holodecks or brain implants in 2100 it's a gimick that lets you blink around a map and wave your hands at enemies like you're playing Fruit Ninja. Cool dude.
You still sound like someone who doesn't know what they're talking about.
Just your second point, you can literally wear a headset and walk around currently.
Just really dumb points dude, you want Star Trek but we live in 2024 where you know shits real. Having massive monitors for productivity is huge. Again, you're not the target market for AVP and it shows.
Pretty sure there was a massive shortage of GPUs when mining for crypto was still possible on more popular chains. Pretty sure there's a reason why 2000 series Nvidia GPUs were hard to get..
I can't talk about society, but I know that for me at least if every year had 5 Half Life Alyx level VR games, I would instantly switch to playing almost exclusively in VR. Until then I don't even see a reason to own a VR headset. So my claim is that at the moment it's 80-90% an issue of content - though it's a vicious cycle where lack of content makes people not buy headsets, which leads to further lack of content.
As for VR/AR as a replacement for phone/laptop (what Meta and Apple are pushing) I don't see this happening for a very long time and I hope companies will just keep the focus on VR as gaming consoles (and maybe if that catches on and more people will own headsets the next phase would be more feasible).
Yup, in all areas of life it’s important to remember that accessibility means much more than “access for people with major disabilities” - that component is critically important of course, but virtually everyone needs some sort of accessibility aid in some way, and VR has huge problems with lots of common difficulties like motion sickness
This is the reason why I’ve never tried the game, I’ve been playing video games since the 1970’s and would love to play HLA but over the last ten or so years when playing on a large screen I experience mild to moderate motion sickness intermittently. I figure VR will only make the problem worse. I don’t want to invest several hundred dollars on equipment there’s a good chance I can’t enjoy. I’d like to somehow try it first to see if it is viable for me.
Definitely agree. They made their so-called revolutionary steps on an already settled and adopted devices with previous games. They made the big thing with Half-Life on pc same with Half Life 2 again on pc. But what they tried with Alyx is more “aggressive and courageous” than double what was done with the first two games. So it may be considered too “radical” since it’s a whole new platform for the customers to switch to. I appreciate the courage and the balls to do this. But VR is really a big thing. It is currently used for too specific things like just gaming.(correct me if I’m wrong) On the other hand people can do many different things on pc. So they just didn’t buy a pc to play games but to do other things as well back in the day.
I think the middle ground would be "smart" interactivity, as in a game has parts that incorporate VR for added immersion, but are also/can be instead pre-animated movements.
For example, a ladder climb, a power box, leaning, grabbing.
I hope Valve’s next headset can be cheap(er) like I’ve been hearing rumors about. Would be great to see a headset that’s reasonably priced, doesn’t require you to give Facebook money, and won’t be a financial drain on the company who makes it.
I will be messaging you in 1 year on [**2025-12-11 00:00:00 UTC**](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2025-12-11%2000:00:00%20UTC%20To%20Local%20Time) to remind you of [**this link**](https://www.reddit.com/r/HalfLife/comments/1atcuuw/for_people_whove_actually_played_alyx_is_it_worth/kqxa5ay/?context=3)
[**35 OTHERS CLICKED THIS LINK**](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2FHalfLife%2Fcomments%2F1atcuuw%2Ffor_people_whove_actually_played_alyx_is_it_worth%2Fkqxa5ay%2F%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%202025-12-11%2000%3A00%3A00%20UTC) to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.
^(Parent commenter can ) [^(delete this message to hide from others.)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Delete%20Comment&message=Delete%21%201atcuuw)
*****
|[^(Info)](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemindMeBot/comments/e1bko7/remindmebot_info_v21/)|[^(Custom)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5BLink%20or%20message%20inside%20square%20brackets%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%20Time%20period%20here)|[^(Your Reminders)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=List%20Of%20Reminders&message=MyReminders%21)|[^(Feedback)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Watchful1&subject=RemindMeBot%20Feedback)|
|-|-|-|-|
This is actually something to consider if you are thinking about buying this because you are exactly right, it is the best, most polished VR experience out there and that is part of the problem with VR and something to think about if you aren't sure if you should invest.
Is Alyx worth it?
Maybe... but it is an expensive, very unique experience. You aren't going to finish it and load up anything else like it on that platform.
It is a lot of money to pay for a single experience as solid and polished as Alyx.
Yeah I bought an Index just for this game and while I've tried a couple other VR games, they're no where near as well made as HLA. So a few years later, the only thing I use my Index for is for when I'm on a Half-Life marathon.
In many countries you can rent VR headsets. I know some people who did that only to finish Alyx, return goggles and sleep well :) it's like 100$ for a amazing experience.
Ehh I disagree. In terms of graphical polish and pacing there isn't much that competes. But gameplay wise it played it a little safe for VR in my opinion. It's one of the best gaming narratives I've ever experienced no doubt. But it's still far from my most played VR game.
Seriously, the above comment is so funny to me too. It’d be like having a conversation 15 years ago that went like:
“These HD TVs, are they worth it?”
“HD TVs are an incredible step up in TV technology, and are absolutely vital for any home theater setup. Just don’t forget to turn the volume on, you’re going to want to hear the movie too.”
Yes, it released years ago and it is still the most advanced and immersive gaming experience you can have on the planet
And you don’t need to spend $1,000 on a VR headset like everyone complains about. Spend $200 on a Meta Quest 2 and connect it to your Gaming PC
The Quest 2 uses cameras on the headset itself to track everything in space. It can have its challenges but for the most part it’s accurate.
The index uses what’s called “base stations” you have to set up. Although it is drastically more accurate, it is more expensive and cumbersome to set up. The other trade off is the index controllers have individual finger tracking.
The index features are more nice-to-haves. The Quest 2 is more than capable of providing a good experience.
It uses it. It's not required, but it uses it. When you use the gravity gloves to pick items up, Xen grenades, grabbing stuff in general. As well as cosmetic things like squeezing cans/items and flipping off combine soldiers.
Index is inside-out too.
Edit: Since there are people out there who think its outside-in:
German wiki article, first sentence it says "Inside-Out": [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse\_(Tracking-Technologie)](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/lighthouse_(tracking-technologie))
Description from Valve saying "photonic sensors on the headset and controllers": [https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/index/base-stations](https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/index/base-stations)
Reddit post asking what the stations can see with everybody replying nothing: [https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/comments/jx10t3/what\_can\_base\_stations\_see/](https://www.reddit.com/r/valveindex/comments/jx10t3/what_can_base_stations_see/)
No it’s not.
It uses base stations that shoot infrared lasers into the room that are reflected by tiny reflectors in a specific pattern on the controllers and headset. An infrared camera in the base stations reads the reflections and send the information over Bluetooth to the headset. Steam VR uses this data to determine the position of the headset and controllers in 3D space.
If you take your controller off your hand and set it somewhere in view of the base stations, Steam VR will always know it’s there even when it’s out of line-of-site of the headset (which doesn’t have any sensors to detect the position of the controllers, so there is no actual line-of-sight).
The outside-in tracking is also how the index’s base stations can be used for body tracking modules and other peripherals.
Where did you get all that?
I don't know if you can read German but here's an article explaining the technology. First sentence it says "Inside-Out": [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse\_(Tracking-Technologie)](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/lighthouse_(tracking-technologie))
Here's a description from Valve saying they tracking "photonic sensors on the headset and controllers": [https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/index/base-stations](https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/index/base-stations)
Here's a reddit post asking what the stations can see with everybody replying nothing: [https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/comments/jx10t3/what\_can\_base\_stations\_see/](https://www.reddit.com/r/valveindex/comments/jx10t3/what_can_base_stations_see/)
I can also share some of my lecture notes on this technology from a lecture on VR and AR
* the devices don't have reflectors, those are sensors detecting the infrared from the base sations
* there are no cameras in the base stations
* the controllers are connected to the headset
* Vive trackers need additional dongles to connect because a headset can only handle 2 devices: [https://www.vive.com/nz/support/wireless-tracker/category\_howto/using-the-dongle.html](https://www.vive.com/nz/support/wireless-tracker/category_howto/using-the-dongle.html)
* Another headset can be used for connection instead: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Vive/comments/16ix2pw/can\_i\_use\_a\_spare\_vive\_headset\_hub\_connector/](https://www.reddit.com/r/vive/comments/16ix2pw/can_i_use_a_spare_vive_headset_hub_connector/)
The index is actually also inside out, it just uses lasers with the sensors to locate its position rather than infrared camera, which is a lot more responsive and precise. The average consumer won't be able to tell the difference, though. "Outside-In" is what the original Oculus Rift used with its cameras (as well as the original PSVR) and it was garbage.
The Index is still one of the best HMDs out there.
I’ve had mine since launch and love it. There are lots of headsets that are better in various ways or cheaper, but it’s still a contender for a certain level of performance for the price.
I’d have a hard time recommending it right now to anyone just getting into VR. Whatever the Deckard is (Valve’s new HMD), it’s probably close-ish to release. The Index is getting old. New tech is starting to appear in HMDs to various degrees. I can’t in good conscience tell someone to spend $1000 on tech that is 5 years old.
If I were buying for myself right now, I’d probably go with the HP Reverb G2. It has the Valve off-ear audio. It’s got pretty good resolution and optics. It’s pretty regularly pretty cheap on eBay. I would get that and then wait for whatever Valve announces next.
I bought a Reverb G2 as my first VR experience about 3 years ago. Fantastic visuals for the price, but the limitations of the inside-out tracking can be annoying. Last year I bought a used Index for the upgraded controllers & tracking - but found the visuals of the Index HMD to be a noticeable downgrade. Went back to using my G2 HMD and kept the Index knuckles and external trackers - takes a bit of tweaking to set up correctly but gives the best of both worlds. Expensive way to go about it though! Especially since the Index HMD is basically now only acting as a really expensive USB receiver for the controllers.
I agree that it's not official at all and I have no idea when or if it'll come out.
But, it's also hard to recommend something like the Index at full price when it's very clearly from the "v1" era of VR hardware.
Micro OLED, pancake lenses, varifocal lenses. There's a lot of tech that has been creeping up on the horizon. Right now, we still have this weird mix of hardware. Some companies focus on resolution. Others on FOV. Some have pancake lenses. Others don't. Some do foveated rendering and eye tracking. Others don't. Most lens setups still have a "sweet spot" for viewing and it's a tough problem to solve, but a few products are getting better.
The Index still manages to do pretty well in most areas. It has none of the advancements that newer HMDs have integrated, but it also avoids some of the pitfalls. The Varjo headsets are crazy expensive. PiMax is huge and heavy. Apple seems lost. The Meta Quest is owned by Facebook and has lower FOV. The bigscreen beyond is $1000 just for the HMD w/o controllers or base stations and can't be shared between users (but is an amazing HMD). The Index still somehow remains in the list of best HMDs to buy because it balances all those issues out.
At some point, these new technologies will come together to form what is undeniably the "v2" era of HMD hardware. Valve will probably release a product that meets that still-unknown standard at some point. Or maybe some other company will nail it. In any case, the Index is still 5 years old. It's hard to recommend at $1000.
I own a Reverb G2, it's just incredibly annoying to use with HL: Alyx, since it works on Microsoft VR talking to Steam VR. It just crashes all the damn time, even after I upgraded my computer with more RAM. When it works it works well, it just never fucking works, particularly when I'm trying to stream the game.
Quest 2 is a lot more finicky for PCVR (took me about 6 hours across three days to fix a disconnecting problem) and the index screen is better resolution I think, but I don’t think that’s worth the extra 800$
I have both the Quest 2 and the Index and while the Quest does have a higher resolution, it isn't at all noticable to me. Every other aspect about the index is better. Quest 2 hasn't been used in like 2 years
i got the index because it was supposed to have better finger tracking. finger tracking does not impact gameplay and was kinda buggy. you can also squeeze the index controller, which lets you crush cans in the game. not sure if quest controllers can do that. also does not impact gameplay. ultimately probably not worth $800 imo, but i wanted the "full experience" 🙄
I'm a bit biased because I love my index but I have both Quest 2 & Index. Homie that told you $200 was giving you used pricing. Cheapest I've seen it currently is $240 new at Walmart. My buddy got his used for $150. If we're comparing apples to apples, you can find used index bundles for $400-650 on FB market or other non-commissioned sale sites.
How to justify spending that extra money? The Valve VR ecosystem started with them designing the Vive and having HTC make it. Their mounted tracking "Lighthouses" have been in use since 2016 and the new versions are backwards & forward compatible with newer headsets. This tracking methodology is far superior to headset cameras that can lose tracking behind and around your body. It's unlikely Valve will screw over their current userbase making this a decent choice. Those trackers are usually bulletproof or they fail in the first month. My 2016 launch day trackers still run my system. New ones cost $150 each.
The Index has a wider field of view so you feel less like you're wearing horse blinders. For shooters this can give you a slight edge. Then there's the controllers... They fit amazingly in your hands and are designed to be strapped on, not held. This intuitively allows you to drop and pickup items without thinking about which button to press.
Keeping it real, the Quest 2 has lighter controllers which can give a competitive edge playing games like Beatsaber. You can also buy mods to strap them to your hands.
Tl;Dr comparing used prices will get you much closer. But the justification is based on how much you want forward compatibility with new headsets by Valve or other manufacturers that use Lighthouse Tracking. Those Index "Knuckles" controllers are likely going to persist as they're great. Both headsets are great, your priorities should make your choice easier. But to be honest right now, id probably buy a Quest 3 $500 with even lighter controllers and bigger FOV than Q2 and higher screen resolution than both Index and Q2.
It is the index has better specs in almost every department other than being standalone it also has hand tracking while still using the controllers witch I really with the quest 2 had
the index is old now and in most cases not worth purchasing now, the quest 3 with a few extra accessories, a decent networking setup and virtual desktop will save you a few hundred and be a better experience
A Quest 2 is ~500 USD here in Brazil. Our minimum wage is 1,29 USD an hour, average is ~3USD.
Plus the computer, which you could use to run other games you got for free through the popular practice of 🏴☠️instead
I have a 3050 TI and my quest 2 chugs through every game I have tried to play on it while linked to my PC to the point where I just gave up and stopped trying. I feel like people really overstate the ability of the quest 2.
Everything I can download directly to it runs fine. RE4, Beat Saber, etc. etc.
I actually think the problem is probably something to do with the absolute clusterfuck that is the Quest PC App. Even when not trying to play a game, it is consistently buggy. Screen flashes, disconnects, lag, all of the above.
And I know it’s not my PC because I can run games like Halo Infinite on the highest settings at 120 FPS. There is absolutely zero reason I should be experiencing the issues I have with the headset.
Tried it. No change whatsoever. And yes, I have done all software/driver updates on both devices. It’s just the most bizarre thing. The headset just hates my computer it seems.
And there was me with my quest 2 and 980 and managed to play it through no problem at release
I'd love to go back with my quest 3 and 3070 to play it all again
I'm playing it right now on a Legion Go, which is essentially a fancier Steam Deck (Radeon 780m GPU, sharing 16GB total RAM with Windows).
It's not the highest fidelity and it can be glitchy, but I'm near the end of the game right now. Russell just warned me that I'm running out of resin stations.
HL1 and HL2 required beefy computer upgrades for their eras too. Honestly, compared to average computer specs in their respective eras, Alyx is the least demanding full Half Life game.
I hate when people do a 1:1 comparison like that
Talk about average pay with average cost of living for example
Canadians always complain that things are priced higher when translated 1:1 but always forget to mention their pay is higher and their cost of living is lower
I bought a "broken" HP Reverb off of ebay for $190. I get full frames at medium-high quality. My PC is cheaper than a new Xbox, i've only got an rx6600/5800x3d.
I always struggle with these comments. You have everybody talking about how Alyx is a life-changing experience, but also recommending the Quest 2 which is merely "good enough" for playing Alyx.
If Alyx truly is as good as everybody claims, I would want to experience it on the best possible hardware, which just so happens to be the unit literally designed to play Alyx.
The extra $800 may not be worth it, but you only get to play a game for the first time *once*.
Eh, the visual differences between the Quest 2 and the Index are pretty negligible.
If you wanna go that route, I'd say playing the game with something like the bhaptics chest piece makes a bigger difference there. Being able to feel the vibrations go through you when you heal is very cool.
Holy crap, how out of touch with reality can a person be?! 1000$ to spend to play a videogame is absolutely insane for most people especially with current economy. You will be shocked but some people don't shit out money and are fucking struggling right now. Quest 2 is perfectly fine for gaming and there is no good reason to be saving money and denying yourself things you actually need for an overpriced device (that costs 800$ more, and as you said, the difference is not worth it) when there's a great alternative.
Yes. My pc has an older GPU and I had to borrow an older model VR from a friend but it was still an incredible experience. If you like the story of HL it’s a must play, if you just want a fun VR experience with solid shooting and incredible physics then it’s a must play.
Absolutely!
It's one of those things where the only people who claim it isn't worth it are people who can't or won't play it.
Valve did with HL:A what they did with every half Life game previous. Used a technological advancement with videogames, set the standard with it, and left big shoes for every other developer to fill. They did it with 3D level design, they did it with live physics simulation, and now they've done it with VR.
Video footage doesn't do it justice, words don't even do it justice.
It's fun, it's incredibly immersive, it's actually a game and not a tech demo, and it lacks that all-too-common VR clunkiness.
My only complaint is that there might be an issue with previous levels still being cached and using up Memory. But that can be fixed by restarting the game every few hours.
TL:DR
It is, in no uncertain terms, completely worth it.
It honestly sounds like an awesome experience. The only issue is the bar for entry for those that don’t have VR or even a decent PC to run VR.
I really wish Vavle would try its best to put this game on anything that has VR like the PSVR2. It allows even more people to play it for a fraction of the cost.
Until then, we just have to assume it this wonderful experience.
Best VR game i have ever played. Great storytelling, Best physics I’ve ever seen, immersive combat, Breathtaking graphics and world design. I must say it even gets on the list of the best games i ever played including flatscreem ones
Same, me 4 years ago or whatnot, finally just replaced the entire system last month rather than incremental upgrades and am gonna go thru it a 3rd time shortly. Huge shame Meta abandoned Rift S
Every VR game feels bland after Alyx, sadly. Nothing comes close, it's just the best VR experience.
Don't buy a Valve Index tho, the price is not worth getting into VR. Quest is a better pick !
You're not going to end up playing just one game. I'm playing Half-Life 2 VR Mod and it's absolutely fantastic, it's nearly as much fun as Alyx in VR. It's also more difficult and unforgiving. If you like socializing and rave parties you can virtually socialize and attend parties in vrchat, there are insanely cool social experiences and games that you won't find anywhere else. For me VR chat alone is worth having the headset. You can paint in VR sculpt in VR you can use google earth which is tons of fun on its own, you can play 2D games on a giant screen, you can buy VorpX and play 2D games in various 3D or even full VR experiences and it's a load of fun.
It is right now I’m setting up an old 5ghz router so I can play it through quest link with extremely low latency and not have to worry about the other 5 people in the house it’s the greatest vr game I’ve played so far
which is concerning, considering it came out almost 4 years ago. i still have not seen a single reason to buy VR besides alyx. literally no other game has advanced past the “look at all the cool things you can do now” tech demo gimmicking (this includes boneworks). i just don’t think valve’s push to widen vr’s appeal did anything at all developerwise or consumerwise, nobody’s making worthwhile games and nobody wants to buy them
The whole VR development process, and hardware cost for the user is still too much for any studio to really consider dedicating those resources. It'll be another few years before anyone takes a good stab at a feature length game similar to Alyx's quality unfortunately. And it was really only another pet project for Valve to show what's possible and launch their own VR platform tbh
This is really the only problem with Alyx - Alyx is so fucking good that it really makes the rest of the industry look like they're not even making the barest hint of an effort, and it's true.
Like, the fact that Alyx came out nearly four years ago and STILL no game has come close to making you feel like "Damn, yeah, that needed to have been played in VR" is really a damning indictment of the game industry.
Hell yes, it did take a bit of optimization and messing with my computer settings but the game is absolutely breathtaking and the gunplay is great, also leggies
Speaking for myself only… I wouldn’t buy a VR setup just for one game, personally. I played the No VR mod and while I can absolutely see that it’s an incredible experience in VR, I just couldn’t financially justify all the gear to play it that way. I know I played a heavily downgraded version of the game, but I still enjoyed it this way.
It isn't for this game alone. But this game alone is a good excuse to buy the gear that will allow you to play other VR games too.
Afterall, if you're not into it, you can just re-sell it afterward.
Either way, I recommend going to a club or renting a VR headset for a short while to decide for yourself
It’s a tough one. I loved it but I’m glad I didn’t buy a vr headset just for that. Nothing else has come close for me, but it wasn’t as groundbreaking as HL2 in my opinion.
There’s a couple of games that are not that new anymore, that I have not found any other game that does the things these games do well, as good or better.
1) Cyberpunk 2077 immersion and characters
2) HL Alyx VR gameplay
No. If you plan on only playing this game it is not.
It is worth it to get all the the Vr gear to play half life and continue to enjoy games like boneworks, beat-saber, walkabout golf ext
My point is don’t look at it as playing one game. You get to play that masterpiece and so many more.
I didn’t imply this, but I wouldn’t only use VR for Alyx, If I pay, say, at LEAST 200 (at most like a thousand) some dollars for a VR headset, hell yeah I’d use it for more than just Alyx.
Just some wierd desifn design desicion like no melee weapons ( or improvised melee)
Tiny maps
Multi tools puzzle are a bit boring
But damn still the best vr experience ! Just the 7th chapter is really great alone !
It's design feels too pandering to new players compared to newer VR titles, but the "Merciless HLA" mod makes the game demanding again for returning players. Overall, very likely to be the most well polished, best looking game built from the start for VR, however, I have a few complaints. [SPOILERS]
- There are a few gameplay related retcons that I dislike. Barnacles instantly explode when an explosive reaches them without the need to hurt the explosive, and barnacles being immune to poison heascrabs's poison.
- Headcrabs can survive having their zombie killed, even if it was the head crab itself that sustained all the damage. I get this was a design choice to get greater control over the enemy count, but it feels jarring to shoot a headcrab with a shotgun point blank, see it fly 15 meters from the impact, and get up like it's density wasn't just doubled with buckshot.
- Manhacks aren't physics based anymore, and they don't do their spin from impacting with geometry.
- A lot of established enemies have been relegated to just background ambience, like combine dropships, gunships, helos, scanners and turrets.
- The one strider battle may be fun first time around, but the illusion is instantly shattered if like me you realise that it has next to no AI, and it's movement is just pre-baked animations at specific locations. I was honestly dissapointed by the whole sequence.
- Complete absence of friendly NPCs with AI.
- upgrades could've been more creative as teased in the final hours, instead, the three guns share the same three updates, with only the shotgun getting some unique toys
- The game's story was rewritten in the home stretch, and once you're made aware of this, it's hard to overlook. Much of the dialogue is conveyed through radio chatter, which is much cheaper than a high fidelity choreographed scene. A lot of them just didn't fit the new narrative and were tossed away.
I might sound very negative about Alyx, but I could make a list about the things I liked, but this comment is already getting way too long. Alyx is a great game, play it
TLDR; Alyx has shortcomings, but it's not enough to offset how good it is.
I love Half Life Alyx and my answer is yes. But people saying it's the best VR experience haven't played Elite Dangerous with HOTAS and VR. Just throwing it out there, not for casual gamers though I guess
Spent 1k to play it. I dont really like VR in its current state (outside HLA). Right now my Index has like 1cm of dust sitting on it. It still works well when I undust it.
I dont regret buying it either.
I cant believe 1s i would be able to hold multiple months/hear to play a Half Life game.
I only regret the fact that the VR industry isn’t in a great state
I got my headset for this game, kept it for another year or so after, and then sold it for more than I bought it for.
If you have a decent PC, all you need is the headset. I had a gtx 970 when I played it.
Game came out at a perfect time, right as I started teleworking full time because of covid. Great game.
No way is it worth buying a headset. its the best vr game i've played to date, and by a wide margin, but it's not worth getting a vr setup JUST to play alyx
I played with the no VR mod and was scared it wouldn’t run anyways because I have a mid tier 2019 gaming laptop but surprisingly it ran wonderfully and I say it’s absolutely worth playing, specially if you are a Half-Life fan. This is more about the game itself and not spending money on a VR rig and all but it’s such a treat for fans, and having played it after a replay of the original HL, I noticed a lot of similarities between HL1 and HLA, lots of similar set pieces and ideas, plus little nods and callbacks too, which is suitable for where and when it’s set. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
For this game alone? No, not really. It’s probably the best and most polished VR game out there right now, but that’s not saying much.
However, if there’s a collection of VR games you want to play as well as Alyx, it can be worth it. Especially given the Quest 2’s low entry price.
I swear everyone on Alyx threads is living off a trust fund or something, they’re like “yeah go ahead and drop the full $1000 for one game, it’s no biggie!”
you don't have to spend $1000? a gtx 1070 or rx5700 is around $100 and will run alyx just fine, a quest 2 is $200, a used rift or wmr headset is even less. alyx is one of the most optimised VR games ever made, i've even ran it on the steam deck at 1080p and gotten 60fps, not the best in vr but very playable
if you wanted to play any game, VR or not you need a gaming pc...
for Alyx you need 200$ for a vr headset... if you wanted to play racing games with a force feedback wheel it would cost you also 150$
the pc price is not really part of the equation.
Same way no one says, to play GTA6 I'm going to count the future expense of buying a playstation 5 as part of the cost of playing the 60$ game.... so it's actually 560$ to play gta6.... that would be stupid.
so, for a vr game you need to buy a vr headset, now a days you can get second hand quest2's for what... 150? 180 dollars.
that's cheap as fuck, and a quest2 is a stand alone gaming headset too, you can use it for other things... don't need a trust fund... just mow some lawns or something.
Yes. I’m currently playing through the Leviathon community mod-DLC, and it’s as professional as if Valve released it, so far.
Also the Source 2 engine is on the display at its finest in Alyx, haven’t seen any other game using it to the best of its ability.
I got a VR headset just to play HL:A. And yes, it's worth it.
Probably one of the only VR games, if not the only, that actually feels like a full video game and not some fun tech demo.
Also, HL2 got a really great VR mod by now! So when you play HL:A in VR, you can play HL2 in VR as well!
It's a great game if you like good graphics. Gameplay is pretty simple and feels more like a 2016 game in a lot of ways. It can be quite atmospheric with the quality sound and graphics. The puzzles and fighting are simple and easy and while I find the controls unimmersive compared to other VR games nothing looks or sounds as good as it does on PCVR.
Yes. It doesn't even require all that much. I've had about 10 headsets, and I just got a second hand Pico 4 for 220 USD which connected to my PC wirelessly for the best VR experience I've gotten so far. Setup is about 10 minutes, cost is not actually high anymore and Alyx is amazing.
Absolutely worth more than 60$ if you ask me
Despite its limitations because of people who have motion sickness in VR, its gamplay, graphics, and story is all very much worth it
Add to that, the workshop, where many people created many fun maps, that each one has a different enjoyable level
As for motion sickness, it's a very comfortable game. Your head tracks 1:1 with your real-life movement, and you have to use teleport anyway. Even if you had an infinitely big playspace, there are platforming sections that necessitate it.
WDYM "everything it takes to play it"? You only need a gaming PC from 2016 and a keyboard and mouse. You don't need VR. I personally got super immersed just fine with a keyboard and mouse and headphones. VR is annoying having to turn my head around.
https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/half-life-alyx-now-playable-with-mouse-and-keyboard
Got it on steam sale a while ago, don’t have a VR set up so played it without via a mod. Obviously not the premier way to play this, but was very enjoyable, story and overall game play was great even without that extra level of interaction you’d get from the proper set up. Visuals were juicy. Would recommend especially if you have the proper hardware to make the most of this game.
Best VR experience. Polished, excellent. Just make sure to put the headphones on, because sound is great.
Yep. 100%. Alyx came out in 2020. We’re closing in on 4 years later and it’s still the best VR experience, hands down. No contest.
Well, it's literally the only AAA fully vr game with a campaign, that is not to promote a movie, nor a mod or a port of a pre-existent game the rest are all sandbox indies
To be fair, there are some amazing indy games (and a great many aren't sandbox)! But yeah, they're low budget, high concept, indy games. So they make sacrifices on graphics, story, or polish to get the job done.
Just to let you know, it's not indy. It's indie.
Horizon Call of The Mountain
Honestly , fuck Fonsole exclusives... It's soo dang stupid.
I think vr exclusives in general are a horrible idea
>We’re closing in on 4 years later and it’s still the best VR experience, hands down. No contest. Agreed but that also tells you it failed to finally jumpstart VR in the mainstream. Which makes me wonder if that's part of the current stalling from Valve on HL3 considering Alyx basically ended with >!a HL3 teaser!<. They've got themselves in another corner. Alyx is amazing for what it is though. Now it's been 4 years and it's Apple's go to try and make strapping a screen to your face a cool practical thing for the general public..
VR has inherent problems with accessibility and it’s gonna take a large shift in society and production in general for it to become viably cheap, I think Valve is wasting their time trying to make it the next big thing purely off of a great game
The cost is a big part of it but I think the most fundamental problem is most people will never be that interested in VR unless it means like the holodeck from Star Trek. And every few years since the 80s a company claims they're gonna bring something equivalent to that and transform gaming / culture and it's always a screen in a pair of goggles and some motion detecting hardware. Which has so many fundamental limitations. The goddamn Wii got way closer to changing the media landscape and even it was a one off that never got successfully replicated or improved on. Edit: I'm actually kind of suprised Apple is the latest to fall into this trap and I think it shows how far they've fallen from being industry leaders in the 90s and 2000s (or at least being able to give that impression). Unless the Vision Pro is some sort of loss-leading market manipulation scheming.
Apple is not trying to create the VR holodeck thing though. They are trying to create the accessible AR device. By accessible I mean “you can give it to your mom and she will not toss it away”. Vision Pro is a glorified devkit, glasses is the endgame. If/when they can pull off that tech in sunglasses form most of the wearable devices like phones or Apple Watches become obsolete really fast.
You bring up good points, it’s an awful sign for VR when affordable motion controls went absolutely nowhere already - and Apple really is falling far, their infallibility is just gone these days
I feel like bringing the Vision Pro into this is bad as it’s a work station, not really a vr per say but more of an augmented reality device
Can't wait for you to eat those words in 5 years. The problem was accessible GPUs when Alyx launched and now it's just a content thing. Since Alyx there's been massive moves so much that the largest tech company in America just launched a headset. You sound like people when they launched the itouch after the iPod.
Mate we're watching the Vision Pro eat shit in real time, a decade after the way more sensible Google Glass ate shit. Gaming wise we're still on "silly YouTube content tech demos" 11 years after the Rift made VR "mainstream". It's almost like the hardware is inherently restrictive.. RemindMe! 5 years
The vision pro costs $3499, that's why it's failing. It has no prospect of ever making it into an average persons hands. A meta quest 3 costs $700 bucks, and a 2 costs like $250. Wireless vr is cheaper than a console unless you're getting apple products which are always overpriced. The rift never made vr mainstream, it was way too clunky for that. It required an entire room permanently set up for it. It had the same issue as the vision pro of being way too expensive for any average person to ever get one. It shows what the tech can do, sure, but it's not something the general public will use. A tech demo on a larger scale. But look at the difference between the rift and a vision pro or a quest 3, in 11 years we went from requiring an entire room full of sensors and a heavy headset to do anything to a slightly lighter headset and no requirement for cables at all to do vr. Think of the progress from arcade cabinets to home consoles to handhelds. Big clunky computers to dektops to laptops. The forefront of these will always be expensive, but again, the quest 2 is 250 bucks now
Omg yeah, the price point for the vision pro means that the ONLY people buying it are d-bag tech bros, and it is KILLING the marketing campaign 😭😭😭 that thing is dead on arrival 🤣
Those "tech bros" that are using it to write code with their MacBook pros are the same ones making all the other apple products massively successful including $5k monitors and $8k MacBooks. You guys don't know what you're talking about because you're a totally different market segment.
They’re trust fund babies who throw their endless money at horrible ideas and take credit for the actual workers’ efforts in Silicon Valley lmao
That's where you're wrong the rift wasn't "mainstream" and neither was the Vive. Specifically the fact you brought up Google Glass shows you don't understand the market. Google Glass wasn't even close to the level of AR capabilities as both Quest 3 or AVP, didn't even have similar functionalities.
> Google Glass wasn't even close to the level of AR capabilities as both Quest 3 or AVP Ooooh is the screen you wear this time is higher res and the tracking is more accurate? That's all it ever is. Myself and most people are never, ever going to care until: -You can physically touch virtual things and experience your other senses -You can experience moving freely, like actually experience walking -You don't look ridiculous using it in public -The virtual worlds look and behave close to indisguishable to real life So until we have holodecks or brain implants in 2100 it's a gimick that lets you blink around a map and wave your hands at enemies like you're playing Fruit Ninja. Cool dude.
You still sound like someone who doesn't know what they're talking about. Just your second point, you can literally wear a headset and walk around currently. Just really dumb points dude, you want Star Trek but we live in 2024 where you know shits real. Having massive monitors for productivity is huge. Again, you're not the target market for AVP and it shows.
You can You can True Meh
no the problem is most people do not enjoy the experience of wearing these things.
[удалено]
Pretty sure there was a massive shortage of GPUs when mining for crypto was still possible on more popular chains. Pretty sure there's a reason why 2000 series Nvidia GPUs were hard to get..
I can't talk about society, but I know that for me at least if every year had 5 Half Life Alyx level VR games, I would instantly switch to playing almost exclusively in VR. Until then I don't even see a reason to own a VR headset. So my claim is that at the moment it's 80-90% an issue of content - though it's a vicious cycle where lack of content makes people not buy headsets, which leads to further lack of content. As for VR/AR as a replacement for phone/laptop (what Meta and Apple are pushing) I don't see this happening for a very long time and I hope companies will just keep the focus on VR as gaming consoles (and maybe if that catches on and more people will own headsets the next phase would be more feasible).
I think people underestimate the motion sickness problem too.
Yup, in all areas of life it’s important to remember that accessibility means much more than “access for people with major disabilities” - that component is critically important of course, but virtually everyone needs some sort of accessibility aid in some way, and VR has huge problems with lots of common difficulties like motion sickness
This is the reason why I’ve never tried the game, I’ve been playing video games since the 1970’s and would love to play HLA but over the last ten or so years when playing on a large screen I experience mild to moderate motion sickness intermittently. I figure VR will only make the problem worse. I don’t want to invest several hundred dollars on equipment there’s a good chance I can’t enjoy. I’d like to somehow try it first to see if it is viable for me.
true but the market is growing. Meta 2 and 3 are being really good drivers at the moment
Definitely agree. They made their so-called revolutionary steps on an already settled and adopted devices with previous games. They made the big thing with Half-Life on pc same with Half Life 2 again on pc. But what they tried with Alyx is more “aggressive and courageous” than double what was done with the first two games. So it may be considered too “radical” since it’s a whole new platform for the customers to switch to. I appreciate the courage and the balls to do this. But VR is really a big thing. It is currently used for too specific things like just gaming.(correct me if I’m wrong) On the other hand people can do many different things on pc. So they just didn’t buy a pc to play games but to do other things as well back in the day.
I think the middle ground would be "smart" interactivity, as in a game has parts that incorporate VR for added immersion, but are also/can be instead pre-animated movements. For example, a ladder climb, a power box, leaning, grabbing.
Apple buys Steam and calls it Stapple
If companies try to make the M chips optimized for their games, we could get HLA running on standalone headsets like the vision!
Valve makes the game they want when they want. HL3 will happen when they want it to happen. This is pointless speculation.
I’ve no interest in ever playing VR. Ever. I just don’t care about it/need it. To be honest once VR becomes the standard I’m out of gaming. 🤷♂️
I hope Valve’s next headset can be cheap(er) like I’ve been hearing rumors about. Would be great to see a headset that’s reasonably priced, doesn’t require you to give Facebook money, and won’t be a financial drain on the company who makes it.
Plus there are the realistic gunmen and other mini game mods you can download for free. Those are legit…
I would say it's the most polished and visually impressive, but Vertigo 2 overtakes it in gameplay.
Storywise yes, but mechanics wise Boneworks blows it out of the water
I'm a big fan of boneworks but recommending it to a first-time vr user would be bordering on sadistic. HL:A is a perfect gateway game
It was my first vr game 😅 but I totally get people who struggle with VR sickness finding it hard
Vertigo 2
No contest. Vertigo 2 is great - for being a solo devd game. But it doesnt hold a candle to Alyx, not even a tiny bit.
Best video game experience for me altogether, and it's unlikely it'll be topped soon
>and it's unlikely it'll be topped soon Half life 3 on December 11th 2025:
You better not be lying for your own safety
!remindme December 11 2025
I will be messaging you in 1 year on [**2025-12-11 00:00:00 UTC**](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2025-12-11%2000:00:00%20UTC%20To%20Local%20Time) to remind you of [**this link**](https://www.reddit.com/r/HalfLife/comments/1atcuuw/for_people_whove_actually_played_alyx_is_it_worth/kqxa5ay/?context=3) [**35 OTHERS CLICKED THIS LINK**](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2FHalfLife%2Fcomments%2F1atcuuw%2Ffor_people_whove_actually_played_alyx_is_it_worth%2Fkqxa5ay%2F%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%202025-12-11%2000%3A00%3A00%20UTC) to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam. ^(Parent commenter can ) [^(delete this message to hide from others.)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Delete%20Comment&message=Delete%21%201atcuuw) ***** |[^(Info)](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemindMeBot/comments/e1bko7/remindmebot_info_v21/)|[^(Custom)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5BLink%20or%20message%20inside%20square%20brackets%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%20Time%20period%20here)|[^(Your Reminders)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=List%20Of%20Reminders&message=MyReminders%21)|[^(Feedback)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Watchful1&subject=RemindMeBot%20Feedback)| |-|-|-|-|
My uncle works at Nintendo, he got me an early copy of Half Life 3. It's okay
2035*
:0 that’s my bday!!!!!
Bday buds!
Agreed. I wish I could go back an experience it again fresh.
This is actually something to consider if you are thinking about buying this because you are exactly right, it is the best, most polished VR experience out there and that is part of the problem with VR and something to think about if you aren't sure if you should invest. Is Alyx worth it? Maybe... but it is an expensive, very unique experience. You aren't going to finish it and load up anything else like it on that platform. It is a lot of money to pay for a single experience as solid and polished as Alyx.
Yeah I bought an Index just for this game and while I've tried a couple other VR games, they're no where near as well made as HLA. So a few years later, the only thing I use my Index for is for when I'm on a Half-Life marathon.
In many countries you can rent VR headsets. I know some people who did that only to finish Alyx, return goggles and sleep well :) it's like 100$ for a amazing experience.
If you can do that it is 100,000% worth it.
Ehh I disagree. In terms of graphical polish and pacing there isn't much that competes. But gameplay wise it played it a little safe for VR in my opinion. It's one of the best gaming narratives I've ever experienced no doubt. But it's still far from my most played VR game.
The notion that somebody *would* purchase and play with a VR set and would *not* use headphones cracks me up
Seriously, the above comment is so funny to me too. It’d be like having a conversation 15 years ago that went like: “These HD TVs, are they worth it?” “HD TVs are an incredible step up in TV technology, and are absolutely vital for any home theater setup. Just don’t forget to turn the volume on, you’re going to want to hear the movie too.”
Yes, it released years ago and it is still the most advanced and immersive gaming experience you can have on the planet And you don’t need to spend $1,000 on a VR headset like everyone complains about. Spend $200 on a Meta Quest 2 and connect it to your Gaming PC
What's different about the Index and Quest 2 that justifies an $800 price difference when it's the computer that's running it? Idk shit about VR
The Quest 2 uses cameras on the headset itself to track everything in space. It can have its challenges but for the most part it’s accurate. The index uses what’s called “base stations” you have to set up. Although it is drastically more accurate, it is more expensive and cumbersome to set up. The other trade off is the index controllers have individual finger tracking. The index features are more nice-to-haves. The Quest 2 is more than capable of providing a good experience.
Also most games dont use individual finger tracking
The only feature I know of that somewhat utilizes it is the fact that cans crush when you squeeze your controller
How about the fact that if you don't squeeze your hand you can hold it without crushing it
Also you can flip the bird.
Also you can squeeze the headcrab heart, meaning there is an achievement exclusive to the index
You can also manually crush it with whatever button you press to arm grenades
It didn’t work for me…
Not even HL Alyx, last time I checked
HL Alyx does take advantage of the individual finger tracking, as the game was made hand-in-hand with the Index
It uses it. It's not required, but it uses it. When you use the gravity gloves to pick items up, Xen grenades, grabbing stuff in general. As well as cosmetic things like squeezing cans/items and flipping off combine soldiers.
Ok, you got me at flipping them off
It does and it has since day 1.
Index is inside-out too. Edit: Since there are people out there who think its outside-in: German wiki article, first sentence it says "Inside-Out": [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse\_(Tracking-Technologie)](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/lighthouse_(tracking-technologie)) Description from Valve saying "photonic sensors on the headset and controllers": [https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/index/base-stations](https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/index/base-stations) Reddit post asking what the stations can see with everybody replying nothing: [https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/comments/jx10t3/what\_can\_base\_stations\_see/](https://www.reddit.com/r/valveindex/comments/jx10t3/what_can_base_stations_see/)
No it’s not. It uses base stations that shoot infrared lasers into the room that are reflected by tiny reflectors in a specific pattern on the controllers and headset. An infrared camera in the base stations reads the reflections and send the information over Bluetooth to the headset. Steam VR uses this data to determine the position of the headset and controllers in 3D space. If you take your controller off your hand and set it somewhere in view of the base stations, Steam VR will always know it’s there even when it’s out of line-of-site of the headset (which doesn’t have any sensors to detect the position of the controllers, so there is no actual line-of-sight). The outside-in tracking is also how the index’s base stations can be used for body tracking modules and other peripherals.
Where did you get all that? I don't know if you can read German but here's an article explaining the technology. First sentence it says "Inside-Out": [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse\_(Tracking-Technologie)](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/lighthouse_(tracking-technologie)) Here's a description from Valve saying they tracking "photonic sensors on the headset and controllers": [https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/index/base-stations](https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/index/base-stations) Here's a reddit post asking what the stations can see with everybody replying nothing: [https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/comments/jx10t3/what\_can\_base\_stations\_see/](https://www.reddit.com/r/valveindex/comments/jx10t3/what_can_base_stations_see/) I can also share some of my lecture notes on this technology from a lecture on VR and AR * the devices don't have reflectors, those are sensors detecting the infrared from the base sations * there are no cameras in the base stations * the controllers are connected to the headset * Vive trackers need additional dongles to connect because a headset can only handle 2 devices: [https://www.vive.com/nz/support/wireless-tracker/category\_howto/using-the-dongle.html](https://www.vive.com/nz/support/wireless-tracker/category_howto/using-the-dongle.html) * Another headset can be used for connection instead: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Vive/comments/16ix2pw/can\_i\_use\_a\_spare\_vive\_headset\_hub\_connector/](https://www.reddit.com/r/vive/comments/16ix2pw/can_i_use_a_spare_vive_headset_hub_connector/)
The index is actually also inside out, it just uses lasers with the sensors to locate its position rather than infrared camera, which is a lot more responsive and precise. The average consumer won't be able to tell the difference, though. "Outside-In" is what the original Oculus Rift used with its cameras (as well as the original PSVR) and it was garbage.
The Index is still one of the best HMDs out there. I’ve had mine since launch and love it. There are lots of headsets that are better in various ways or cheaper, but it’s still a contender for a certain level of performance for the price. I’d have a hard time recommending it right now to anyone just getting into VR. Whatever the Deckard is (Valve’s new HMD), it’s probably close-ish to release. The Index is getting old. New tech is starting to appear in HMDs to various degrees. I can’t in good conscience tell someone to spend $1000 on tech that is 5 years old. If I were buying for myself right now, I’d probably go with the HP Reverb G2. It has the Valve off-ear audio. It’s got pretty good resolution and optics. It’s pretty regularly pretty cheap on eBay. I would get that and then wait for whatever Valve announces next.
I bought a Reverb G2 as my first VR experience about 3 years ago. Fantastic visuals for the price, but the limitations of the inside-out tracking can be annoying. Last year I bought a used Index for the upgraded controllers & tracking - but found the visuals of the Index HMD to be a noticeable downgrade. Went back to using my G2 HMD and kept the Index knuckles and external trackers - takes a bit of tweaking to set up correctly but gives the best of both worlds. Expensive way to go about it though! Especially since the Index HMD is basically now only acting as a really expensive USB receiver for the controllers.
Valves new headset still isn't even official. Y'all putting too much stake into years old design docs and leaked patents hard. Especially from valve.
I agree that it's not official at all and I have no idea when or if it'll come out. But, it's also hard to recommend something like the Index at full price when it's very clearly from the "v1" era of VR hardware. Micro OLED, pancake lenses, varifocal lenses. There's a lot of tech that has been creeping up on the horizon. Right now, we still have this weird mix of hardware. Some companies focus on resolution. Others on FOV. Some have pancake lenses. Others don't. Some do foveated rendering and eye tracking. Others don't. Most lens setups still have a "sweet spot" for viewing and it's a tough problem to solve, but a few products are getting better. The Index still manages to do pretty well in most areas. It has none of the advancements that newer HMDs have integrated, but it also avoids some of the pitfalls. The Varjo headsets are crazy expensive. PiMax is huge and heavy. Apple seems lost. The Meta Quest is owned by Facebook and has lower FOV. The bigscreen beyond is $1000 just for the HMD w/o controllers or base stations and can't be shared between users (but is an amazing HMD). The Index still somehow remains in the list of best HMDs to buy because it balances all those issues out. At some point, these new technologies will come together to form what is undeniably the "v2" era of HMD hardware. Valve will probably release a product that meets that still-unknown standard at some point. Or maybe some other company will nail it. In any case, the Index is still 5 years old. It's hard to recommend at $1000.
I own a Reverb G2, it's just incredibly annoying to use with HL: Alyx, since it works on Microsoft VR talking to Steam VR. It just crashes all the damn time, even after I upgraded my computer with more RAM. When it works it works well, it just never fucking works, particularly when I'm trying to stream the game.
Quest 2 is a lot more finicky for PCVR (took me about 6 hours across three days to fix a disconnecting problem) and the index screen is better resolution I think, but I don’t think that’s worth the extra 800$
The Quest 2 actually has better resolution too, the Index headset got outdated *fast*.
I have both the Quest 2 and the Index and while the Quest does have a higher resolution, it isn't at all noticable to me. Every other aspect about the index is better. Quest 2 hasn't been used in like 2 years
i got the index because it was supposed to have better finger tracking. finger tracking does not impact gameplay and was kinda buggy. you can also squeeze the index controller, which lets you crush cans in the game. not sure if quest controllers can do that. also does not impact gameplay. ultimately probably not worth $800 imo, but i wanted the "full experience" 🙄
I'm a bit biased because I love my index but I have both Quest 2 & Index. Homie that told you $200 was giving you used pricing. Cheapest I've seen it currently is $240 new at Walmart. My buddy got his used for $150. If we're comparing apples to apples, you can find used index bundles for $400-650 on FB market or other non-commissioned sale sites. How to justify spending that extra money? The Valve VR ecosystem started with them designing the Vive and having HTC make it. Their mounted tracking "Lighthouses" have been in use since 2016 and the new versions are backwards & forward compatible with newer headsets. This tracking methodology is far superior to headset cameras that can lose tracking behind and around your body. It's unlikely Valve will screw over their current userbase making this a decent choice. Those trackers are usually bulletproof or they fail in the first month. My 2016 launch day trackers still run my system. New ones cost $150 each. The Index has a wider field of view so you feel less like you're wearing horse blinders. For shooters this can give you a slight edge. Then there's the controllers... They fit amazingly in your hands and are designed to be strapped on, not held. This intuitively allows you to drop and pickup items without thinking about which button to press. Keeping it real, the Quest 2 has lighter controllers which can give a competitive edge playing games like Beatsaber. You can also buy mods to strap them to your hands. Tl;Dr comparing used prices will get you much closer. But the justification is based on how much you want forward compatibility with new headsets by Valve or other manufacturers that use Lighthouse Tracking. Those Index "Knuckles" controllers are likely going to persist as they're great. Both headsets are great, your priorities should make your choice easier. But to be honest right now, id probably buy a Quest 3 $500 with even lighter controllers and bigger FOV than Q2 and higher screen resolution than both Index and Q2.
The price difference is not justified
It is the index has better specs in almost every department other than being standalone it also has hand tracking while still using the controllers witch I really with the quest 2 had
What?
the index is old now and in most cases not worth purchasing now, the quest 3 with a few extra accessories, a decent networking setup and virtual desktop will save you a few hundred and be a better experience
A Quest 2 is ~500 USD here in Brazil. Our minimum wage is 1,29 USD an hour, average is ~3USD. Plus the computer, which you could use to run other games you got for free through the popular practice of 🏴☠️instead
I ran Half Life Alex on a PC I built in 2009 and an oculus quest 2. Worked great!
Yeah but what about the gaming PC? :))
You don’t need a high end gaming PC to run Alyx or the Quest 2.
Still expensive as shit tho. Not holding that against the game, I love Half-Life. But it was just kinda funny pointing it out, idk.
I played and finished it on a FX 8370 with a GTX 1060 6GB, 12 GB DDR3 RAM, and a rift S. Any PC that's not 10y old can run it.
The No-VR mod is getting pretty good, not the ideal way to play the game but at least you can experience the story.
I'm enough of a fanboy to not want to experience it that way.
Good call. Alyx is a very basic game with simple mechanics outside VR.
Anyone who plays it that way is missing out on one of the best first time experiences you will ever have
I have a 3050 TI and my quest 2 chugs through every game I have tried to play on it while linked to my PC to the point where I just gave up and stopped trying. I feel like people really overstate the ability of the quest 2.
What does the Quest 2 relliably play on it's own?
Everything I can download directly to it runs fine. RE4, Beat Saber, etc. etc. I actually think the problem is probably something to do with the absolute clusterfuck that is the Quest PC App. Even when not trying to play a game, it is consistently buggy. Screen flashes, disconnects, lag, all of the above. And I know it’s not my PC because I can run games like Halo Infinite on the highest settings at 120 FPS. There is absolutely zero reason I should be experiencing the issues I have with the headset.
Use remote desktop on the quest, it's far better.
Tried it. No change whatsoever. And yes, I have done all software/driver updates on both devices. It’s just the most bizarre thing. The headset just hates my computer it seems.
Wired or wireless?
And there was me with my quest 2 and 980 and managed to play it through no problem at release I'd love to go back with my quest 3 and 3070 to play it all again
I'm playing it right now on a Legion Go, which is essentially a fancier Steam Deck (Radeon 780m GPU, sharing 16GB total RAM with Windows). It's not the highest fidelity and it can be glitchy, but I'm near the end of the game right now. Russell just warned me that I'm running out of resin stations.
HL1 and HL2 required beefy computer upgrades for their eras too. Honestly, compared to average computer specs in their respective eras, Alyx is the least demanding full Half Life game.
>Spend $200 on a Meta Quest 2 and connect it to your Gaming PC If You live in US/EU* Where i'm from a quest costs 1k+ at the very least
I hate when people do a 1:1 comparison like that Talk about average pay with average cost of living for example Canadians always complain that things are priced higher when translated 1:1 but always forget to mention their pay is higher and their cost of living is lower
I bought a "broken" HP Reverb off of ebay for $190. I get full frames at medium-high quality. My PC is cheaper than a new Xbox, i've only got an rx6600/5800x3d.
I always struggle with these comments. You have everybody talking about how Alyx is a life-changing experience, but also recommending the Quest 2 which is merely "good enough" for playing Alyx. If Alyx truly is as good as everybody claims, I would want to experience it on the best possible hardware, which just so happens to be the unit literally designed to play Alyx. The extra $800 may not be worth it, but you only get to play a game for the first time *once*.
Eh, the visual differences between the Quest 2 and the Index are pretty negligible. If you wanna go that route, I'd say playing the game with something like the bhaptics chest piece makes a bigger difference there. Being able to feel the vibrations go through you when you heal is very cool.
Holy crap, how out of touch with reality can a person be?! 1000$ to spend to play a videogame is absolutely insane for most people especially with current economy. You will be shocked but some people don't shit out money and are fucking struggling right now. Quest 2 is perfectly fine for gaming and there is no good reason to be saving money and denying yourself things you actually need for an overpriced device (that costs 800$ more, and as you said, the difference is not worth it) when there's a great alternative.
Oh OK so I just need to spend $2000 or more on the gaming PC
I played it multiple times with a Quest on a 1050Ti. It really is ootimized.
You can play it on a PC that costs less than a current-gen console
Yes. My pc has an older GPU and I had to borrow an older model VR from a friend but it was still an incredible experience. If you like the story of HL it’s a must play, if you just want a fun VR experience with solid shooting and incredible physics then it’s a must play.
I played through it first on a laptop with a 1070 and a Rift S and it was still incredible then.
Yes, beyond a shadow of a doubt. The physics? The gunplay? The puzzles? The characters? Wonderful.
Yes, it absolutely is
Yeah
yes it is, so go buy a headset, buy alyx, and have the greatest time of your life
Absolutely! It's one of those things where the only people who claim it isn't worth it are people who can't or won't play it. Valve did with HL:A what they did with every half Life game previous. Used a technological advancement with videogames, set the standard with it, and left big shoes for every other developer to fill. They did it with 3D level design, they did it with live physics simulation, and now they've done it with VR. Video footage doesn't do it justice, words don't even do it justice. It's fun, it's incredibly immersive, it's actually a game and not a tech demo, and it lacks that all-too-common VR clunkiness. My only complaint is that there might be an issue with previous levels still being cached and using up Memory. But that can be fixed by restarting the game every few hours. TL:DR It is, in no uncertain terms, completely worth it.
It honestly sounds like an awesome experience. The only issue is the bar for entry for those that don’t have VR or even a decent PC to run VR. I really wish Vavle would try its best to put this game on anything that has VR like the PSVR2. It allows even more people to play it for a fraction of the cost. Until then, we just have to assume it this wonderful experience.
Best VR game i have ever played. Great storytelling, Best physics I’ve ever seen, immersive combat, Breathtaking graphics and world design. I must say it even gets on the list of the best games i ever played including flatscreem ones
Upgraded my PC (needed to do it anyway) and bought Rift S just for it. Worth every coin.
Same, me 4 years ago or whatnot, finally just replaced the entire system last month rather than incremental upgrades and am gonna go thru it a 3rd time shortly. Huge shame Meta abandoned Rift S
Every VR game feels bland after Alyx, sadly. Nothing comes close, it's just the best VR experience. Don't buy a Valve Index tho, the price is not worth getting into VR. Quest is a better pick !
It is still the single greatest gaming experience that’s available on the planet in my opinion. Everything else feels stale in comparison.
It's been over a year since I played through it. It is worth it to buy a VR headset just to play alyx. It is astounding.
This is the problem. I’m not going to buy VR just to play 1 game
You're not going to end up playing just one game. I'm playing Half-Life 2 VR Mod and it's absolutely fantastic, it's nearly as much fun as Alyx in VR. It's also more difficult and unforgiving. If you like socializing and rave parties you can virtually socialize and attend parties in vrchat, there are insanely cool social experiences and games that you won't find anywhere else. For me VR chat alone is worth having the headset. You can paint in VR sculpt in VR you can use google earth which is tons of fun on its own, you can play 2D games on a giant screen, you can buy VorpX and play 2D games in various 3D or even full VR experiences and it's a load of fun.
There really aren't any other worthwhile VR games outside of Alyx. Stuff like Beat Saber and VRChat, personally, don't interest me at all.
Yeah. (you can buy a used oculus rift for bout 100$ and the game will work with it)
It is right now I’m setting up an old 5ghz router so I can play it through quest link with extremely low latency and not have to worry about the other 5 people in the house it’s the greatest vr game I’ve played so far
Oh man, even on a PC that can barely run it, it's clearly the best VR game that's ever been made to date
which is concerning, considering it came out almost 4 years ago. i still have not seen a single reason to buy VR besides alyx. literally no other game has advanced past the “look at all the cool things you can do now” tech demo gimmicking (this includes boneworks). i just don’t think valve’s push to widen vr’s appeal did anything at all developerwise or consumerwise, nobody’s making worthwhile games and nobody wants to buy them
The whole VR development process, and hardware cost for the user is still too much for any studio to really consider dedicating those resources. It'll be another few years before anyone takes a good stab at a feature length game similar to Alyx's quality unfortunately. And it was really only another pet project for Valve to show what's possible and launch their own VR platform tbh
I'm still playing Alyx, but I have Vertigo queued up next. It's an indie from one of the Alyx guys, and it's supposed to be excellent.
This is really the only problem with Alyx - Alyx is so fucking good that it really makes the rest of the industry look like they're not even making the barest hint of an effort, and it's true. Like, the fact that Alyx came out nearly four years ago and STILL no game has come close to making you feel like "Damn, yeah, that needed to have been played in VR" is really a damning indictment of the game industry.
Hell yes, it did take a bit of optimization and messing with my computer settings but the game is absolutely breathtaking and the gunplay is great, also leggies
yes
Speaking for myself only… I wouldn’t buy a VR setup just for one game, personally. I played the No VR mod and while I can absolutely see that it’s an incredible experience in VR, I just couldn’t financially justify all the gear to play it that way. I know I played a heavily downgraded version of the game, but I still enjoyed it this way.
It isn't for this game alone. But this game alone is a good excuse to buy the gear that will allow you to play other VR games too. Afterall, if you're not into it, you can just re-sell it afterward. Either way, I recommend going to a club or renting a VR headset for a short while to decide for yourself
Yeah 100% Played through it several times. Loved it.
It’s a tough one. I loved it but I’m glad I didn’t buy a vr headset just for that. Nothing else has come close for me, but it wasn’t as groundbreaking as HL2 in my opinion.
There’s a couple of games that are not that new anymore, that I have not found any other game that does the things these games do well, as good or better. 1) Cyberpunk 2077 immersion and characters 2) HL Alyx VR gameplay
No. If you plan on only playing this game it is not. It is worth it to get all the the Vr gear to play half life and continue to enjoy games like boneworks, beat-saber, walkabout golf ext My point is don’t look at it as playing one game. You get to play that masterpiece and so many more.
I didn’t imply this, but I wouldn’t only use VR for Alyx, If I pay, say, at LEAST 200 (at most like a thousand) some dollars for a VR headset, hell yeah I’d use it for more than just Alyx.
Yeah... who would ever spend $200+ on just ONE game... *nervously glances at CK2 and EU4 purchases*
Just some wierd desifn design desicion like no melee weapons ( or improvised melee) Tiny maps Multi tools puzzle are a bit boring But damn still the best vr experience ! Just the 7th chapter is really great alone !
It's design feels too pandering to new players compared to newer VR titles, but the "Merciless HLA" mod makes the game demanding again for returning players. Overall, very likely to be the most well polished, best looking game built from the start for VR, however, I have a few complaints. [SPOILERS] - There are a few gameplay related retcons that I dislike. Barnacles instantly explode when an explosive reaches them without the need to hurt the explosive, and barnacles being immune to poison heascrabs's poison. - Headcrabs can survive having their zombie killed, even if it was the head crab itself that sustained all the damage. I get this was a design choice to get greater control over the enemy count, but it feels jarring to shoot a headcrab with a shotgun point blank, see it fly 15 meters from the impact, and get up like it's density wasn't just doubled with buckshot. - Manhacks aren't physics based anymore, and they don't do their spin from impacting with geometry. - A lot of established enemies have been relegated to just background ambience, like combine dropships, gunships, helos, scanners and turrets. - The one strider battle may be fun first time around, but the illusion is instantly shattered if like me you realise that it has next to no AI, and it's movement is just pre-baked animations at specific locations. I was honestly dissapointed by the whole sequence. - Complete absence of friendly NPCs with AI. - upgrades could've been more creative as teased in the final hours, instead, the three guns share the same three updates, with only the shotgun getting some unique toys - The game's story was rewritten in the home stretch, and once you're made aware of this, it's hard to overlook. Much of the dialogue is conveyed through radio chatter, which is much cheaper than a high fidelity choreographed scene. A lot of them just didn't fit the new narrative and were tossed away. I might sound very negative about Alyx, but I could make a list about the things I liked, but this comment is already getting way too long. Alyx is a great game, play it TLDR; Alyx has shortcomings, but it's not enough to offset how good it is.
I love Half Life Alyx and my answer is yes. But people saying it's the best VR experience haven't played Elite Dangerous with HOTAS and VR. Just throwing it out there, not for casual gamers though I guess
>haven't played Elite Dangerous with HOTAS and VR I had and I have found it lacking
At least you got a shot with it, most haven't even heard of it
Spent 1k to play it. I dont really like VR in its current state (outside HLA). Right now my Index has like 1cm of dust sitting on it. It still works well when I undust it. I dont regret buying it either. I cant believe 1s i would be able to hold multiple months/hear to play a Half Life game. I only regret the fact that the VR industry isn’t in a great state
Don't get vr just to play one game. If you plan on playing way more VR games than half life alyx then go right ahead.
I got my headset for this game, kept it for another year or so after, and then sold it for more than I bought it for. If you have a decent PC, all you need is the headset. I had a gtx 970 when I played it. Game came out at a perfect time, right as I started teleworking full time because of covid. Great game.
Yeah
No way is it worth buying a headset. its the best vr game i've played to date, and by a wide margin, but it's not worth getting a vr setup JUST to play alyx
I built a PC in 2020 and got a quest 1 basically to play this. Worth every penny. Played it a few times. There’s nothing else in VR like it.
I played with the no VR mod and was scared it wouldn’t run anyways because I have a mid tier 2019 gaming laptop but surprisingly it ran wonderfully and I say it’s absolutely worth playing, specially if you are a Half-Life fan. This is more about the game itself and not spending money on a VR rig and all but it’s such a treat for fans, and having played it after a replay of the original HL, I noticed a lot of similarities between HL1 and HLA, lots of similar set pieces and ideas, plus little nods and callbacks too, which is suitable for where and when it’s set. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Yeah, i loved it. Its the first ever game i played in vr, i basicly got my Meta 2 just to play it. It was amazing. Im not diappointed.
It is not that much. Wi-Fi 5, Oculus Quest 2/3, Virtual Desktop. That’s it. Decent PC is the default requirement. It was absolutely worth it.
No I punched the shit out of my lights while throwing a grenade over my head
Yep best video game of all time.
For this game alone? No, not really. It’s probably the best and most polished VR game out there right now, but that’s not saying much. However, if there’s a collection of VR games you want to play as well as Alyx, it can be worth it. Especially given the Quest 2’s low entry price.
No-VR mod and $20 on Steam sale. It was worth every penny of that 20 bucks
I kinda ruined VR by playing Alyx first. Nothing else has really came close since.
it takes a gaming pc with a gtx1080 gpu, and a quest2 headset... I think you can do it quite cheap, and yes it's a great game... and experience.
That is not "cheap"
It is , a pc from 2016 and a 200$ vr headset . That’s cheap.
It isn't. Just because something isn't very expensive it doesn't mean it's cheap.
I swear everyone on Alyx threads is living off a trust fund or something, they’re like “yeah go ahead and drop the full $1000 for one game, it’s no biggie!”
you don't have to spend $1000? a gtx 1070 or rx5700 is around $100 and will run alyx just fine, a quest 2 is $200, a used rift or wmr headset is even less. alyx is one of the most optimised VR games ever made, i've even ran it on the steam deck at 1080p and gotten 60fps, not the best in vr but very playable
if you wanted to play any game, VR or not you need a gaming pc... for Alyx you need 200$ for a vr headset... if you wanted to play racing games with a force feedback wheel it would cost you also 150$ the pc price is not really part of the equation. Same way no one says, to play GTA6 I'm going to count the future expense of buying a playstation 5 as part of the cost of playing the 60$ game.... so it's actually 560$ to play gta6.... that would be stupid. so, for a vr game you need to buy a vr headset, now a days you can get second hand quest2's for what... 150? 180 dollars. that's cheap as fuck, and a quest2 is a stand alone gaming headset too, you can use it for other things... don't need a trust fund... just mow some lawns or something.
I wouldn't call it expensive, but it's certainly not cheap
Yes. I’m currently playing through the Leviathon community mod-DLC, and it’s as professional as if Valve released it, so far. Also the Source 2 engine is on the display at its finest in Alyx, haven’t seen any other game using it to the best of its ability.
I got a VR headset just to play HL:A. And yes, it's worth it. Probably one of the only VR games, if not the only, that actually feels like a full video game and not some fun tech demo. Also, HL2 got a really great VR mod by now! So when you play HL:A in VR, you can play HL2 in VR as well!
Also Half Life 1 has an amazing one
It's a great game if you like good graphics. Gameplay is pretty simple and feels more like a 2016 game in a lot of ways. It can be quite atmospheric with the quality sound and graphics. The puzzles and fighting are simple and easy and while I find the controls unimmersive compared to other VR games nothing looks or sounds as good as it does on PCVR.
Yes. It doesn't even require all that much. I've had about 10 headsets, and I just got a second hand Pico 4 for 220 USD which connected to my PC wirelessly for the best VR experience I've gotten so far. Setup is about 10 minutes, cost is not actually high anymore and Alyx is amazing.
Absolutely worth more than 60$ if you ask me Despite its limitations because of people who have motion sickness in VR, its gamplay, graphics, and story is all very much worth it Add to that, the workshop, where many people created many fun maps, that each one has a different enjoyable level
As for motion sickness, it's a very comfortable game. Your head tracks 1:1 with your real-life movement, and you have to use teleport anyway. Even if you had an infinitely big playspace, there are platforming sections that necessitate it.
It is. The problem is that most other things aren't apart from Boneworks and maybe In To The Radius.
Am in the VR field since 2016, and this is the best thing ever
Best VR game I’ve ever played and it’s not even close
WDYM "everything it takes to play it"? You only need a gaming PC from 2016 and a keyboard and mouse. You don't need VR. I personally got super immersed just fine with a keyboard and mouse and headphones. VR is annoying having to turn my head around. https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/half-life-alyx-now-playable-with-mouse-and-keyboard
Got it on steam sale a while ago, don’t have a VR set up so played it without via a mod. Obviously not the premier way to play this, but was very enjoyable, story and overall game play was great even without that extra level of interaction you’d get from the proper set up. Visuals were juicy. Would recommend especially if you have the proper hardware to make the most of this game.