So how durable is the Valve Index set?

[REDMVGE]

I'm asking because when people first got into HTC Vive, especially around bigger VR streamers on twitch, by playing 8+ hours a day they'd BURN through those controllers asap, requiring them to buy extras within a month or two simply because the trackpads broke. Are the Index Controllers of a higher quality?

[SilentCaay]

The Vive wands have a known wear & tear issue with the trackpads. It's repairable if you look up a guide. Personally, I have 3 wands and the pads wore out around 9-12 months so 1-2 is some serious abuse.

Aside from the trackpad issue, though, the Vive wands seem pretty indestructible. The construction is very solid and I've sent them flying on many occasions while playing Beat Saber without so much as a scratch. The simplistic design means few possible points for failure.

In comparison, the Index controllers don't seem as sturdy. Not that they seem weak, it's just that the Vive wands are like tanks. The Index controllers are also a lot more complex so there are more possible points for failure. I've sent the Index controllers skittering across the floor 2 or 3 times so far, again, while playing Beat Saber without any damage, though.

[Kyle]

Originally posted by SilentCaay:

The Vive wands have a known wear & tear issue with the trackpads. It's repairable if you look up a guide. Personally, I have 3 wands and the pads wore out around 9-12 months so 1-2 is some serious abuse.

Aside from the trackpad issue, though, the Vive wands seem pretty indestructible. The construction is very solid and I've sent them flying on many occasions while playing Beat Saber without so much as a scratch. The simplistic design means few possible points for failure.

In comparison, the Index controllers don't seem as sturdy. Not that they seem weak, it's just that the Vive wands are like tanks. The Index controllers are also a lot more complex so there are more possible points for failure. I've sent the Index controllers skittering across the floor 2 or 3 times so far, again, while playing Beat Saber without any damage, though.

Can agree, the Vive Wands are very sturdy and resistant, though a bit heavy too, which can be bad for longer playing sessions.

Though their weak spot is that tracking circle on top, if you hit that against a wall with enough force you'll break it, but at that point the fault is on you, lol.

As for the trackpads, I have the Vive for about 2-3 years (since release) and the controllers work just fine as day 1. However the straps on the headset all unglued and I had to sew them in place, so it's sort of falling apart over time. The plastic thingy on the nose also fell apart, and the velcro that holds the foam in place for the face also is starting to unglue, though it's nothing hard to fix. The HMD itself works wonders, it's just those fabric parts that are starting to deteriorate over time, and maybe they could last longer with better maintenance.

The index overall is more ergonomic though from what I've read, and I'm sure it's just as sturdy, considering the steam controller is also a fine piece of hardware when it comes to resistance.

If you don't have a VR set and money isn't a problem, get the index. If money is a problem, the Vive is a good HMD, though being one of the first ones, you might want to check out the rest that came out afterwards.

[WeirdWizardDave]

3 years and 3500+ hours in VR and my vive controllers are just fine, although their battery life is somewhat worse these days. If it wasn't for the Index controllers coming with Alyx I'd probably stick with the vive controllers for at least another year or 2 but as it is, yeah I'll be getting Index controllers.

[Cylon]

Does anyone know if Valve is offering paid repairs after warranty ends? If I'm not mistaken there is only one year of warranty for the Index.

[8Beet]

unless you are whacking the controllers into a wall, you should be fine. Valve is doing a good job at accepting replacements for hardware though, despite the slow response time.

The vive wands while they easily "break", are typically rather resillient and can be pushed back into place. The trackpads not working is 99% because the cable connecting the trackpad to the rest of the controllers got detatched and all you have to do is open it and carefully reconnect it.

[Peh]

I'm using the Vive wands for 1.5 years now and got close to 2300 hours in SteamVR. I have no issues with them.

[AngelBoy]

Mine's still holding after a couple of months. Fortunately I never had the dreaded thumbstick click issues but I have been pretty damn careful with mine and not run into any walls so I might not represent the average Index owner. I have noticed on my Kunckles that I need to clean them (wipe down with a cloth or other fabric) occasionally or my triggers and thumbpad start acting up. I came from Oculus CV1 and didn't have that issue there but maybe this is a common issue for the more expensive HMD's? Idk. Hope that helps :D

[Johnny-Boy]

I feel like the vive wands/pro wands are more durable, feeling more thick in that sense and that they can take some beating, while the index controllers seems like they could breaks rather easily. I'm trying to be careful not to lay down on the floor and crunch the plastic trigger buttons like a cheeto.

Some weeks ago, I snapped the cable holder of the HMD when I laid down, and now have to use a universal velcro strap.

[Squid]

1500 hours with my Vive wands and they're fine. Maybe around 500 hours with my Index controllers and they're good as new.
The key flaw of the Vive wands is the trackpad issue as others have said, but it can be prevented by watching out for any slight "gumminess" of the track pad and occasionally sort of "massaging" around the perimeter of the pad, as well as along the controllers seams. Will help push that interior connection back into place and prevent it slipping too far. Otherwise Vive controllers are referred to as being like hammers, in general build toughness. My brother has a good chip in his dry wall, with barely a scratch on the controller itself.
Index controllers were well known for a slightly flawed joystick upon initial release, but I believe that has been fixed by now, and Valve has been famously good for offering free repairs to fix this early design flaw. I've never made any substantial impact with my Index controllers.

As for the headsets, both Vive and Index seem exceptionally durable thus far. Index is still young of course, but I've never heard of a single instance of either headset itself failing. The only cases I've heard of headset failure for Vive/Index, has been damaged cables, caused by either an incorrectly setup pulley system, or sleeping in the headsets with the cable kinked sharply.

So basically untwist the cable between sessions, and if laying down in VR, brush the cable off to a safe angle.

[Puffy]

Like any expensive tech just take care of it and you'll be fine. Don't forget to wipe your controllers after use.