Oculus Rift S vs Valve Index

What actually differs

Computed from the two records, most decisive first.

• Price band

  Oculus Rift S

  Mid range

  Valve Index

  Premium

• Launch price

  Oculus Rift S

  $399

  Valve Index

  $999

• Resolution per eye

  Oculus Rift S

  1280x1440

  Valve Index

  1440x1600

• Pixel density

  Oculus Rift S

  14 PPD

  Valve Index

  —

• Field of view

  Oculus Rift S

  88° horizontal

  Valve Index

  —

• Refresh rate

  Oculus Rift S

  80 Hz

  Valve Index

  80/90/120/144 Hz

• Weight

  Oculus Rift S

  357 g

  Valve Index

  —

• Availability

  Oculus Rift S

  Discontinued in 2021

  Valve Index

  On sale

• Manufacturer

  Oculus Rift S

  Meta (Oculus)

  Valve Index

  Valve

• Announced

  Oculus Rift S

  2019-03-20

  Valve Index

  2019-04-30

• Swappable facial interface

  Oculus Rift S

  —

  Valve Index

  No

• Optics

  Oculus Rift S

  Fresnel lenses

  Valve Index

  Canted dual-element

They match on 20 further specifications.

Full specification, row by row

36 of 87 rows differ.

Show differences only

Specifications of the selected headsets, one column per model

Specification	Oculus Rift S Meta (Oculus)	Valve Index Valve
Overview7 rows
ManufacturerWho makes it — and who you buy support from.	Meta (Oculus)	Valve
CategoryWhich kind of product this is. It decides which rows below make sense at all.	VR — PC-tethered	VR — PC-tethered
Device typeWhere the computing happens, and therefore what you need to run it.	PC-powered VR	PC-powered VR
AnnouncedThe day it was shown, which is not the day it shipped.	2019-03-20	2019-04-30
ReleasedYear the model went on sale. Older is not automatically worse in this category.	2019	2019
AvailabilityWhether you can still order it new today.	Discontinued in 2021	On sale
Support endsThe date the manufacturer stops supporting it. Decisive for a fleet you are about to buy.	Support ends: not published by the manufacturer	Support ends: not published by the manufacturer
Display and optics9 rows
PanelThe screen type. micro-OLED gives deeper blacks and higher contrast; LCD is brighter and cheaper.	LCD	LCD
OpticsThe lenses in front of the panel. Pancake stays sharp closer to the edges than older Fresnel, which decides how much a trainee has to aim their head to read something.	Fresnel lenses	Canted dual-element
Eyes coveredOne eye or both. Over a full shift this is a real difference in fatigue.	Both eyes	Eyes covered: not published by the manufacturer
Resolution per eyePixels delivered to each eye. Higher means small text and labels stay readable.	1280x1440	≈1440x1600*VRcompare
Refresh rateImages per second. Higher feels smoother and helps people prone to motion discomfort.	80 Hz	80/90/120/144 Hz
Field of viewHow much of your view the image covers. Bigger is more immersive, not automatically better for work.	≈88° horizontal*VRcompare estimate	Field of view: not published by the manufacturer
Pixel densityPixels per degree of view — the honest way to compare sharpness between a headset and a pair of glasses. Higher is sharper. Only shown where somebody published it; we never compute it ourselves.	≈14 PPD*VRcompare (peak)	Pixel density: not published by the manufacturer
BrightnessIn a plant or outdoors, brightness decides legibility more than resolution does.	Brightness: not published by the manufacturer	Brightness: not published by the manufacturer
WeightThe device alone. Anything above roughly 150 g is felt within an hour.	≈357 g*VRcompare	Weight: not published by the manufacturer
Image in detail9 rows
Visible field of viewWhat the eye actually sees through the optics, by axis.	88° horizontal · 88° vertical	108° horizontal · 104° vertical
Rendered field of viewWhat the device draws. Never smaller than what you see.	88° horizontal · 94° vertical · 101.95° diagonal	108.06° horizontal · 109.16° vertical · 114.43° diagonal
Binocular overlapWhere both eyes see the same thing — this is where depth happens.	Binocular overlap: not published by the manufacturer	85.93°
Average pixel densityPixels per degree across the image. More is sharper.	Average pixel density: not published by the manufacturer	13.3 PPD horizontal · 15.4 PPD vertical (computed)
Peak pixel densityThe sharpest point, usually the centre of the lens.	Peak pixel density: not published by the manufacturer	Peak pixel density: not published by the manufacturer
Subpixel layoutHow the coloured dots sit in a pixel. A stripe looks cleaner on text than PenTile.	RGB stripe · 3 subpixels per pixel	RGB stripe · 3 subpixels per pixel
Foveated renderingWhether detail is dropped outside where you look, to save performance.	Foveated rendering: not published by the manufacturer	Foveated rendering: not published by the manufacturer
PassthroughWhat the front cameras give you: colour, grayscale, or nothing.	≈Grayscale*VRcompare	None
Passthrough camerasResolution, density and frame rate of that camera feed.	Passthrough cameras: not published by the manufacturer	Passthrough cameras: not published by the manufacturer
Fit and comfort4 rows
IPD adjustmentMatching lens spacing to the eyes. Motorised is fastest when one headset passes between people.	Software	Manual
IPD rangeHow far the lenses travel to match eye spacing. A narrow range excludes part of any group of adults, which matters when one headset is shared.	61.5–65.5 mm	IPD range: not published by the manufacturer
Works with glassesWhether people who wear glasses can use it — fits over them, or takes prescription lens inserts.	Yes	Works with glasses: not published by the manufacturer
Vision correctionHow somebody who wears glasses uses it, and in what dioptre range.	Fits over glasses	Vision correction: not published by the manufacturer
Size and build6 rows
DimensionsWidth, height and depth of the device itself.	Dimensions: not published by the manufacturer	Dimensions: not published by the manufacturer
Weight with strapWith the strap it ships with — the weight you actually wear.	≈590 g*VRcompare	Weight with strap: not published by the manufacturer
Head strapSoft band or a rigid one. Decides how the weight sits over an hour.	Rigid halo strap	Rigid strap with a dial
MaterialsShell and facial interface, in the vendor’s words.	plastic · foam facial interface	Plastic · foam facial interface
ColoursColours the manufacturer sells it in.	Black	Black
Haptics in the headsetVibration in the headset itself, not in the controllers.	No	No
Tracking and input18 rows
TrackingWhether content stays put in the room (6DoF), follows head rotation (3DoF) or is simply fixed.	inside-out 6DoF, 5 Oculus Insight cameras	outside-in 6DoF (SteamVR base stations)
Base stationsWhether boxes have to be mounted on the walls before it works.	Not needed	Required
Tracking camerasHow many cameras it uses to know where it is.	5	Tracking cameras: not published by the manufacturer
Tracking rateHow often position is recalculated. Higher is steadier.	Tracking rate: not published by the manufacturer	Tracking rate: not published by the manufacturer
Depth sensorA dedicated sensor for distance, on top of the cameras.	No	Depth sensor: not published by the manufacturer
Hand trackingWhether bare hands can operate the interface, without a controller or the phone.	No	No
Eye trackingThe headset knows where the trainee is looking. Enables sharper rendering where they look, and attention analytics.	No	No
Face trackingTracks facial expression — for avatars, not for training scenarios.	No	No
Body trackingHow much of the body the device knows about. Estimated legs are not tracked legs.	None	None
Controllers includedWhether motion controllers come in the box, or are bought separately — or the device is hands-only.	Yes	Yes
Controller modelThe manufacturer's own name for the controller.	Oculus Touch (second generation)	Index Controller
Controller tracking6DoF controllers track position and rotation, so a hand reaches in space; 3DoF only point. “None” means hands only.	6DoF	6DoF
Finger tracking on the controllerWhether the controller senses individual fingers, and how.	Capacitive (partial)	Full
Controller inputsButtons, sticks and triggers the controller offers.	capacitive face buttons · capacitive joystick · capacitive thumb rest · capacitive index trigger · middle finger trigger	Capacitive thumbstick · trackpad · capacitive face buttons · capacitive index trigger · pressure sensitive grip
Controller hapticsVibration feedback in the hand.	Yes	Yes
Controller powerDisposable cells or a built-in rechargeable — a fleet question.	AA batteries	Controller power: not published by the manufacturer
Controller weightOne controller, as the vendor weighs it.	135 g	196 g
Other input methodsWays in beyond controllers and bare hands.	Other input methods: not published by the manufacturer	Other input methods: not published by the manufacturer
Platform and performance5 rows
ProcessorThe processor and memory inside. This is what the performance grade above is derived from.	Processor: not published by the manufacturer	Processor: not published by the manufacturer
CPUCores and clocks, where the manufacturer publishes them.	CPU: not published by the manufacturer	CPU: not published by the manufacturer
GPUThe graphics part of the chip.	GPU: not published by the manufacturer	GPU: not published by the manufacturer
MemoryRAM on the device. Together with the chipset it sets how complex a scene can be.	Memory: not published by the manufacturer	Memory: not published by the manufacturer
SD card slotWhether storage can be added with a card.	SD card slot: not published by the manufacturer	SD card slot: not published by the manufacturer
Power and charging8 rows
BatteryRuntime as the manufacturer states it. A hot-swappable pack matters more than the figure.	Battery: not published by the manufacturer	Battery: not published by the manufacturer
Battery capacity (Wh)Energy in the cell. Bigger is longer, given the same power draw.	Battery capacity (Wh): not published by the manufacturer	Battery capacity (Wh): not published by the manufacturer
Battery capacity (mAh)The same fact in the other unit vendors use. We never convert between the two.	Battery capacity (mAh): not published by the manufacturer	Battery capacity (mAh): not published by the manufacturer
Charge timeFrom empty to full. Rarely stated by the manufacturer, so it usually comes from whoever timed it.	Charge time: not published by the manufacturer	Charge time: not published by the manufacturer
ChargerPower of the supplied charger — it decides the charge time above.	Charger: not published by the manufacturer	Charger: not published by the manufacturer
External batteryBattery on a cable or a puck instead of on the head.	External battery: not published by the manufacturer	External battery: not published by the manufacturer
Charging caseExtra runtime carried in the case the glasses ship with.	Charging case: not published by the manufacturer	Charging case: not published by the manufacturer
Hot-swap batteryWhether a charged battery can replace the empty one without ending the session. This is what decides if a headset can hold an all-day training station.	Hot-swap battery: not published by the manufacturer	Hot-swap battery: not published by the manufacturer
Company rollout6 rows
Runs Skillsive appsOur own statement about whether Skillsive training applications run on it today.	No	No
Suitable for trainingOur judgement on whether it survives real deployment: comfort, hygiene, fleet management.	No	No
Kiosk mode / MDMVendor tooling to enrol devices, push an app and lock the headset to it. Practically required above ten devices.	No	No
Business tierAn official business tier, so devices belong to the company rather than to employees’ personal accounts.	No	No
Swappable facial interfaceRemovable, wipeable face padding. A consumable, and the difference between shared use and complaints.	Swappable facial interface: not published by the manufacturer	No
CertificationsIndustrial certifications stated on the manufacturer's own page. Empty means unconfirmed, never "probably fine".	Certifications: not published by the manufacturer	Certifications: not published by the manufacturer
Connectivity and audio7 rows
PortsPhysical sockets and charging contacts.	DisplayPort 1.2 · USB 3.0 · headphone jack	Front USB port
Wi-FiThe Wi-Fi generation — it decides how well wireless streaming holds up.	Wi-Fi: not published by the manufacturer	Wi-Fi: not published by the manufacturer
BluetoothFor controllers, headphones and accessories.	Bluetooth: not published by the manufacturer	Bluetooth: not published by the manufacturer
Video from a computerWhether a computer can drive it, over a cable or wirelessly.	Video from a computer: not published by the manufacturer	Over a cable
AudioBuilt-in sound. Matters most where somebody has to hear a remote expert while working.	Built-in speakers · Headphone jack	Built-in speakers · Headphone jack
MicrophoneBuilt-in microphone — the other half of talking to a remote expert.	Yes	Yes
MicrophonesHow many. An array picks a voice out of a noisy hall; one does not.	Microphones: not published by the manufacturer	Microphones: not published by the manufacturer
Price4 rows
Price bandThe band it sits in, rather than a price that goes stale.	Mid range	Premium
Launch priceThe manufacturer's launch price. Fixed history, so it never goes stale.	$399$199$38500	$999$199$38500
Price by configurationWhat each configuration cost at launch.	Price by configuration: not published by the manufacturer	Price by configuration: not published by the manufacturer
Price todayApproximate current net price in USD — a general figure, since these barely differ between regions once tax is stripped out. A snapshot from the date shown, not an offer.	Price today: not published by the manufacturer	Price today: not published by the manufacturer
Rated from reviews4 rows
Comfort (from reviews)How it wears over a full session. Scored from agreement between independent reviewers, not from our own testing.	Comfort (from reviews): not published by the manufacturer	Comfort (from reviews): not published by the manufacturer
Edge clarity (from reviews)Sharpness away from the centre of the lens. Scored from agreement between independent reviewers.	Edge clarity (from reviews): not published by the manufacturer	Edge clarity (from reviews): not published by the manufacturer
Tracking reliability (from reviews)How tracking holds up in poor light and fast movement. Scored from agreement between independent reviewers.	Tracking reliability (from reviews): not published by the manufacturer	Tracking reliability (from reviews): not published by the manufacturer
Hand tracking quality (from reviews)How usable controller-free hand tracking is in a training scenario. Scored from agreement between reviewers.	Hand tracking quality (from reviews): not published by the manufacturer	Hand tracking quality (from reviews): not published by the manufacturer

“—” means the manufacturer does not publish that figure. “≈” with an asterisk means it was measured by somebody else — follow the asterisk for who. Prices are an indicative net figure in USD, a snapshot from the date on each model page, not an offer.