Update As planned, the Index headsets are once again available for order. However, the estimated shipping time is currently "8+ weeks," which means it will still be quite a while before they are available in time for Alix.

Original story here:

The Valve Index VR headset has been in short supply for several months. Pre-orders sold out almost immediately, and the shortage was exacerbated by the announcement of Half-Life: Alyx, which made the shortage even worse: as of January 2020, the Index was sold out everywhere, and that was before the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak caused manufacturing delays to take effect. It was. Still, Valve has stated that Alyx will be back in stock before it is released on March 23.

The good news is that it appears likely: Valve has begun sending out notices that Index VR kits will again be available for purchase on March 9 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. 1 p.m. ET) / 1 p.m. ET on March 9, when the Index VR kit will again be available for purchase.

"Due to high demand, we expect inventory to sell out on Monday."

"All purchases beyond this initial quantity will be fulfilled in the order received as supply increases over the next few months.

Valve did not specify the number of units available, but confirmed via email that all new inventory is expected to sell out on the day it arrives; the Steam Index page has also changed, with the "notify me" button that was there in January being replaced by a non-interactive " coming soon" was changed to "coming soon.

The new "coming soon" inventory implies that if you miss this time, you won't get the Index for Alyx, which is less than three weeks away from release. Fortunately, that's not the end of the story: Alyx also works with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. If you're not sure which one is best for you, here's a handy overview of the best VR headset options currently available.

The Valve Index VR kit includes the Index headset, controller, two base stations, and Half-Life: Alyx, and costs $999. No advance purchase: if you want one, be ready to hit the "Buy Now" button when the light turns green. For those who already have it, Valve has released two new SteamVR Home environments from Half-Life: Play Now.