The Valve Index shipping date is in about a month if you preordered it at release.
As preorderers ourselves, we were wondering what games work with the Valve Index Controllers,
more specifically…
What VR games supports finger tracking?
Right now, there isn’t much information on this except for a list on Reddit that is
based on developers saying they added Index Controller support.
I have found that even though developers say they support the Index Controllers that it
doesn’t mean their game will work including finger tracking.
In case you are new to the Valve Index.
Let me give you a brief introduction.
It’s a new VR headset made by Valve themselves with some.... cool specifications.
With the Valve Index comes the Index Controllers that were previously known as the Valve Knuckles
which you can now choose to order in a kit or separately.
Preorders are available now and the first wave will ship on June 28.
If you want to know what the controllers are capable of, check out our previous video about
it.
I’ll link it below.
First, don’t get me wrong, EVERY SteamVR game should work with the Valve Index out
of the box.
However, to be able to fully use the capabilities of the Index Controllers, developers need
to implement its features, like the finger tracking, in their games before it works.
We haven’t gotten the chance to try out the Valve Index headset ourselves yet, however,
we do have the Index Controllers at home that we had the chance to test.
Just so you know, the ones we have here are the Knuckles DV version.
However, we spoke to Valve about this and the DV is actually exactly the same as the
consumer Index Controllers, except for the strap arm connector.
This was switched to a stronger material in the consumer version.
So with these controllers we can check what games work and share that with you.
I grabbed the list from Reddit (Thanks NovaKevin!) and I picked out 5 games to check out.
In this video I will let you know whether the games work with the Index Controllers
and if so, in what way.
I will also tell you a little about the game itself so if you didn’t buy the Valve Index,
you might still enjoy this video!
I hope this helps you in picking what games to buy for your Index Controllers and if there
is enough interest in this, I’ll keep testing them out, so definitely let us know by leaving
us a like or a comment.
Also, subscribe if you haven’t yet to see more videos like this one.
Let’s start with the first game: A Township Tale.
This is an online multiplayer open-world RPG.
Currenty in pre-alpha and free to play.
And it has, as you can see, full Index controller finger tracking support and I was quite surprised
by this game actually.
For those that don’t know the game, it is a typical RPG with quests and multiple roles
that you can take on.
You can become a blacksmith, farmer or warrior for example.
Straight away you’ll be put into a tutorial that teaches you how to interact with the
world, craft and explore.
What immediately stood out in this game was its hand interactions!
I was able to hold a stick almost any way I wanted and with the Index Controller it
was even more of a pleasure because I could grab and let go of stuff by letting go of
the controller.
Then I was also able to craft items by putting them together and in different ways as well.
Like this axe I made.
With it I was able to chop off a tree and grind stones.
It seems that there are many more things to explore in this game.
The thing I haven’t been able to find was something that made use of the controller’s
pressure sensors that allows you to squeeze virtual objects.
I didn’t go very far than the tutorial though, so maybe there is something that you can squeeze
in this game too.
If not, I hope they add it!
Overall, I think A Township Tale definitely nailed VR interactions and the Index Controllers
gave it an extra touch.
I think this is going to be a great game to play with these controllers.
Next, I tried out PokerStars VR, which was on the list too.
This is a free social VR game where you play Texas Hold’em, a variation of the card game
Poker.
Here, I soon realized that the game indeed supports the Index Controllers as all the
buttons worked straight away.
However, there is no finger tracking or squeezing support, which is kind of a bummer since it
would have been really fun in this game.
For those that don’t know the game.
It is a pretty social experience since you chat with others by speaking through your
headset’s microphone with your own designed avatar.
There are also many toys, props and accessories to buy with your virtual money that you can
throw around on the table.
The game is very polished and highly detailed in interactions.
So I think it would have been incredible to make fully use of the Index Controllers.
I hope they will add that later on.
I must say that even without the finger tracking it was still more immersive to me to use the
Index Controllers, since I was able to pinch by putting my thumb and index finger together
to peek at the cards for example and I was able to throw away the cards naturally.
This is a lot of fun and really adds another layer of immersion.
While you are watching this video, don’t forget to leave a like if you want to see
more videos like this one.
The third game I tried was Climbey!
And Climbey was actually one of the first games that got Index Controller support, complete
with finger tracking implementation.
The name says it already, Climbey is a VR climbing game.
The goal is to climb to the finish as fast as you can, avoiding obstacles and trying
not to fall along the way.
Using the Index Controllers in this game is very cool since you’re able to climb naturally
by opening and closing your hand.
Using the pressure sensors, you can jump.
So yes, it isn’t really used for squeezing virual objects, but it is a fun way to do
it this way.
I don’t think this game uses a lot of the Index Controller capabilities though.
I personally feel that the controllers fit a game better where you interact with a lot
of different virtual objects.
In this game, you’re only climbing and jumping around walls and that doesn’t really speak
to me personally.
The fourth game I tried was GORN!
Here, the Index Controllers buttons worked fine as well.
There is however, no finger tracking or squeezing support.
Still, it is pretty cool to be able to punch and throw rocks using the Index Controllers
in GORN.
If you don’t know GORN yet, you should definitely get it, because it has great fighting mechanics
and that is also what made the game very popular.
That and the gory, yet weirdly satisfying, way you can rip the enemies apart.
In GORN you are a gladiator, fighting other gladiators before Ceasar and proving your
worth.
After a couple of waves, you’ll get a champion and the further you go the harder it gets.
You’ll also unlock a variety of medieval and fantasy weapons that you can use.
I think it is a great feeling in a fighting game to be able to let go of the Index Controllers
without the fear of actually dropping the controllers.
Although, I really hope that the developers will use more of the Index Controllers capabilities,
like how funny would it be flip Ceasar the bird?
:’)
I think this game would really fit the Index Controllers so let’s hope they do more with
it in the future.
For now, you can indeed use the controllers with this game out of the box.
The last game I already tried several times with the Index Controllers, which is Beat
Saber.
And I think I can be fairly short here since the game doesn’t do anything with finger
tracking or squeezing since you are holding light sabers.
(Although it would have been cool to squeeze the light sabers and then see the light become
a bit brighter or something).
I don’t even think that the developers added support for the Index Controllers specifically,
they just work straight out of the box with this game.
So this game was actually not on the Reddit list either, but I still found it works fine,
without the need to do any basic bindings with SteamVR either.
But the most important question here is, what does it feel like?
I personally think that Beat Saber feels better with the Index controllers.
The light sabers are aligned with the base handles and well, it just feels more natural
to me than the VIVE Wands or even the Oculus Touch.
This is also why I prefer playing Beat Saber with the Index Controllers.
Now you might wonder, what about games not on any lists?
Most of the games will work fine straight away.
Sometimes a more complicated button combination can be a bit wonky though, but SteamVR provides
an input rebinder that you can use to rebind the buttons to make it work in that case.
I will keep trying out games with the Valve Index Controllers and if you like this video,
I’ll continue making videos too.
So, are there any other games you would like us to test out with the Index Controllers?
And who here has preordered a Valve Index?
Let us know, because we are curious.
A special thanks goes to artArmin and a special shout out goes to his Patreon page –
Everyone, thank you all so much for your support by watching.
And as always VR on!