Which makes sense in some ways. The Frame should be more capable and powerful by itself, but the Index needed those damn base stations which cost a bit just by themselves
Comment on Valve Says the Steam Machine Was Originally Supposed to Cost About $750
SatyrSack@quokk.au 12 hours agoThe original announcement (or some interview or something around that embargo) mentioned that it was going to be cheaper than the Index. Granted that was before the current component crunch and they did not specify whether they meant the base model Index or the full kit with base stations, controllers, etc.
phx@lemmy.world 11 hours ago
vikingtons@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
I’ll be honest, I’ve been pretty out of the loop and totally spaced on that. I was basing it from the general product offering (omitting base stations, high bandwidth display cable throughput, overall display specs), and super old leaks from the time where we knew it only by its codename (deckard), suggesting a much lower cost, partially modular system.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Index remained the overall higher quality VR solution for now
sanpo@sopuli.xyz 12 hours ago
Index might still have an edge in tracking and controllers, everything else should be improved.
FreeBooteR69@lemmy.ca 11 hours ago
Nah, while the Index controllers were awesome, the potentiometer used for the thumbsticks were total garbage and break super easy. I’m so ready for a tmr (magnetic thumbsticks) fix.
SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 hours ago
Apparently the thumbsticks were actually shite? Mine never went out, but I’ve heard from other people.
I think what they meant was the actual tracking of the headset and controllers, since the index used base stations PLUS accelerometers, giving them VERY precise location and movement. Whereas the frame controllers seem to be only inside-out optical, maybe with accelerometers?
We will have to wait and see. With them being better or worse than the index, we’ll have to wait and see. I’m still excited.
artyom@piefed.social 11 hours ago
You can still buy and use the original base stations and they should work with the new headset.
FreeBooteR69@lemmy.ca 9 hours ago
I don’t think this is true, they use different tracking technology.
SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 hours ago
The entire index kit was 1000 before all the bullshit… iirc, you could buy just the headset for like 650, because the base stations were like 100 each and the controllers were separate too. My memory is a little fuzzy on that… But let’s say 1000 for all of it. Putting the frame, with all extras at like… 800 target price point before all the fascism scarcities, and considering the about price-doubling of ram, would put it at right about the same price as the steam machine? Maybe if they were targeting 600, it might be like 1000 now?