Valve Index headset, two Index controllers and two base stations on a black background (image: Valve)

Valve Formally Retires the Index, Cutting Every Remaining SKU 20% While Supplies Last

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Valve Index headset, two Index controllers and two base stations on a black background
The Valve Index kit: headset, Index controllers and two base stations. Image: Valve, from the Steam “Valve Index Sunset” page.

Valve has made it OFFICIAL: the Valve Index is NO LONGER being produced. In a STEAM store post titled “Valve Index Sunset,” published at 3:34 PM PT on October 13 (6:34 PM ET), the company said remaining Index headsets, controllers and accessories are “still available at the new prices below while supplies last.” Those new prices are a FLAT 20% CUT across the line, and the HEADSET alone now lists at $399.20, down from $499.

For current owners, the most IMPORTANT line is also the SHORTEST. “If you already own an Index, nothing changes – it is still supported on Steam and SteamVR,” Valve wrote, pointing HARDWARE questions to a dedicated Steam Support page. The post sets NO end date for SOFTWARE support and says NOTHING about changes to WARRANTY or repairs.

What changed, and what did not

The END of manufacturing is not strictly NEW. When Valve showed The Verge its Steam Frame in November 2025, designer Lawrence Yang SAID the company was “no longer manufacturing” the Index. What is new is that Valve has now said so on its OWN store, attached CLEARANCE pricing to it, and described the remaining inventory as FINITE. As PC Gamer notes, this is the FIRST official word on the matter from Valve itself, and the company has given NO indication of how many UNITS are left.

Steam’s own US price data, which we read at about 9:45 PM ET, shows the SAME 20% discount on NINE Index listings:

  • Valve Index VR Kit: $799.20 (was $999)
  • Headset + Controllers: $599.20 (was $749)
  • Headset only: $399.20 (was $499)
  • Controllers, pair: $223.20 (was $279)
  • Base Station: $119.20 (was $149)
  • Replacement left or right controller: $119.20 each (was $149)
  • Replacement tether: $103.20 (was $129)
  • Face gasket, two-pack: $31.99 (was $39.99)
Bar chart of Valve Index sunset prices on Steam: previous list price versus 20 percent off for nine SKUs
Previous list price versus sunset price for nine Index SKUs, from Steam’s US store data on October 13. A listed price does not guarantee stock. Chart: Metaverse Watcher.

A LISTED price is not the same thing as STOCK. PC Gamer REPORTED that the FULL kit was no longer on offer when it checked, and that ONLY a left replacement controller was listed, with no right-hand one. Valve’s sunset page does include the kit and BOTH replacement controllers in its “while supplies last” section, so the gap most likely reflects what was IN STOCK at a given moment. Anyone trying to COMPLETE a setup should CONFIRM availability of EVERY part BEFORE ordering one piece, especially since the headset alone ships WITHOUT controllers or base stations.

Why now

The TIMING follows the recently launched Steam Frame, which PC Gamer describes as having SUPERSEDED the Index. The two headsets reflect very DIFFERENT DESIGNS. According to The Verge, the Index uses LCD panels at 1440 x 1600 per eye, a PHYSICAL tether to the PC, and EXTERNAL “lighthouse” base stations for tracking. The Frame offers 2160 x 2160 per eye, tracks itself with FOUR monochrome cameras and IR illuminators, streams from a PC over a dedicated 6GHz wireless adapter, and carries an Arm chip that can run Windows games LOCALLY. (Our earlier coverage of Steam Frame reservations covers how buyers are getting one.)

That tracking split is the REAL sunset here. “With Steam Frame, we’re not working on lighthouse support for it,” Yang TOLD The Verge last year. The LIGHTHOUSE system dates to the HTC Vive in 2016, and the Index was its FLAGSHIP Valve headset. With Index production ENDED and the Frame built around inside-out cameras, Valve no longer MAKES a NEW headset designed for its OWN base stations.

What it means for buyers and owners

At $399.20 the headset costs $99.80 LESS than its previous list price, but it is NOT a complete SYSTEM. A working setup STILL needs CONTROLLERS and BASE STATIONS, which is why the $799.20 kit, WHERE available, is the more HONEST comparison. For EXISTING owners, the clearance is MAINLY a window to buy SPARES such as tethers, gaskets and controllers at a discount. Valve has not said whether replacement parts will be RESTOCKED once this inventory is gone, and “while supplies last” offers NO promise that they will.

The Index arrived in 2019. The Verge’s review PRAISED its visuals and controllers while FAULTING its $999 price, and PC Gamer’s review called it the BEST VR headset available at the time. SEVEN years later, Valve is RETIRING it in an ORDERLY way: a clear statement, a uniform DISCOUNT, and a SUPPORT commitment that leaves current headsets WORKING. The open questions are how LONG the stock lasts and how long “nothing changes” holds for SteamVR support. Valve has put NO date on either.

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