[SOLVED] Vive Cosmos vs. Valve Index

[rdross80]

So with the Cosmos specs being announced today, I'm curious as to how everything thinks it compares to the Index? I'm in the market to buy VR within the next few weeks, and my sights were set on the Index. I would say it's currently the top dawg when it comes to specs, but the Cosmos has some pretty solid specs itself. I know other than a few hands-on articles, there is no official reviews, but let's lay out the pros and cons of each going by what we do know.

Resolution: Cosmos surpasses the Index with a 1,440x1,700 per eye vs 1440×1600
Refresh rate: The index provides 80, 90, 120, and 144hz while Cosmos still sticks with 90hz
Tracking: Cosmos supports both inside out and external tracking, while Index only supports the latter
Controllers: Index has those sweet knuckle controllers, while Cosmos has upgraded to more Oculus-like controllers
FOV: The Index can go all the way up to 130 degrees, while Cosmos stays at 110.
Price: Big price difference here. The Index is $999 and the Cosmos is only $699. Now, if you would rather have the more accurate external tracking for Cosmos, you'll have to pay extra for the base stations, so that's something to consider.

I'm pretty torn between these two. I love the cheaper price and higher resolution of the Cosmos, but I also like the higher refresh rate, wider FOV, and knuckle controllers with the Index. Of course there really aren't any games that support those knuckle controllers, and may never be, so that point may be moot. As far as tracking, I'm kinda torn on that. I like the idea of just a plug and play setup where you don't have to setup the tracking sensors in your room, but I think I would prefer the more accurate tracking, but at least with the Cosmos I would have the option of both (I'd just have to put out more money for the base stations).

One thing I'd like to get people's opinions about is which is more important for VR: resolution or refresh rate? Also, when it comes to system strain which of those is harder on the video card? I'd love to hear everyone's opinion overall over which headset they think is better.

 

[digitalgriffin]

I don't have either. But I did try HTC Vive and Index in person.

The Index is more immersive with it's wider field of view (110 vs 130). But like others, I found a smaller sweet spot.

The sound on the Index was amazing and the knuckles were fun, but of little practical use outside demos. Key remappings (rebind) could make it useful for things like quick weapons load outs. Stumbling for the right keyboard key can mean death on a standard keyboard. This is one area where controllers are better. But for the individual fingers, gestures seem limited to actions like pinch or squeeze. The valve software was a bit of a mess to figure out as well.

If the additional vertical res helps or not on the Cosmos is really a function of the aspect ratio, and fill factor.

Inside out tracking has always had misfires in the past. External tracking was always considered superior.

Another thing to consider is fill factor (screen door), black level, and God Rays. We just don't know this information yet.

At this point, I would sit and wait for the reviews from places like VR Oasis or here on Toms. And I bet there will be BF sales for sure.

 

[cddarkman]

I'm really torn on it as well. I'm coming from a Rift, and while I do enjoy the Eco System and games that they've produced. Its frustrating that they're not coming out with a high quality headset anytime if ever.

As for the FOV, for me, it's not quite as bothersome as the SDE. So the extra clarity would be nice on the Cosmos. They say that they've improved the sweet spot by 40%, but that's still to be determined. Norm Chan from Tested said it was about the same as the OG Vive.

If you have glasses, that takes away from the FOV on the Index, and there are some that have already scratched their lenses because they had it too close. Cosmos gives the extra room, and based on some of the reviewers, they appear to have a comfortable fit.

I'm concerned about the heat from the Index which folks have said it gets very hot. Cosmos I believe has an active cooling fan which would be nice and it looks well ventilated. Although with the Index it is possible to use the frunk portion and add some homemade solutions for cooling, but it would be a bit of a hassle to deal with especially if you need access to a 3D Printer.

The flip up design is definitely a nice to have, not required. But there are many times I do find myself having to push up the headset at the start of a game, (Damn you Rockstar!) Or if I want to look something up. Since I still have hair on my head, I then usually have to clean the lenses before putting it back on.

I really would love to have the 120fps frame rate. It really does make a difference in how smooth something is. Especially fast moving objects like Beat Saber, or a ping pong ball coming at you. It makes it that much easier. It's largely noticeable from 60 to 90, It gets harder to tell from 90 to 120, but it's still there. It is noticeable, but that is my perspective based on my observations on my monitor.

The Audio is bar none on the Index. No question. I want that.

I'm concerned about the weight of the Cosmos controllers. For long sessions it could get tiring. It's hard to believe that the battery life is as short as 2 hours. While it would be a bit of a hassle, some nice eneloop rechargeables would come in handy. Also I'm concerned about the tracking and occlusion. Especially in a rifle type of stance, but with the extra cameras, I'm hoping that won't be a problem. Occulus seems to have fixed most of their issues.

I love the idea of the Index Controllers, but there are definitely problems. Some games such as Fallout VR are horrible for users, even the remapping in SteamVR doesn't appear to work too well for them. There is a mod for Skyrim that someone came out with that seems to be a good solution. The hardware has the click issue, and some of the controllers already squeak because of a spring in the trigger. It's yet to be seen how the mapping is with the Cosmos, but I'm thinking since it's so close to Oculus that the majority of games should work well. The unannounced Valve VR games probably never to come out won't be an exclusive for their controller. I'm sure there will be some (That's cool moments), but not enough of a $300 dollar that's cool difference.

I'm really torn. I want the extra FPS, and Audio solution. I think I could get used to the Control and having to remap everything. I already do that for my keyboard. And folks have already created some profiles in SteamVR anyway

but,

I think I'm going to order from Amazon the Cosmos due to the comfort, extra screen quality, controls being close to Oculus so more games work out of the box hopefully, and return it if there are problems. I'm thinking mainly the tracking if it's subpar.