Valve Index Users Statistics 2026
Valve Index HMD accounted for 10.83% of Steam accounts with a VR headset in July 2026, down 0.46 points from June, according to Valve’s own hardware survey. It ranks fourth, behind three Meta models. This post covers where Index owners sit in the Steam survey, what Index hardware is still purchasable, and what Valve has said about the headset’s future.
Valve Index Users: Key Figures
How Many Steam Users Have a Valve Index?
Valve does not publish Index sales. The Steam Hardware & Software Survey is the only recurring public measure, and it is opt-in and anonymous.
Two separate numbers matter here. The 10.83% figure is the Index share within the subset of surveyed accounts that reported a VR headset. The 1.71% figure is how much of the whole surveyed Steam base that VR subset represents.
Neither is a headset count. Valve reports proportions of surveyed accounts, not units sold or people. Shipment-based measures behave differently, as this breakdown of VR headset market share shows.
| Measure | July 2026 | Month-over-month change |
|---|---|---|
| Valve Index HMD share of VR-equipped accounts | 10.83% | -0.46 |
| Steam accounts reporting any VR headset | 1.71% | +0.18 |
Source: Valve, Steam Hardware & Software Survey, July 2026
Valve Index Users Against Every Rival Headset
Three Meta models sit above the Index. Quest 2 leads at 26.66%, with Quest 3 close behind at 26.25% and Quest 3S at 11.44%.
The Index is the highest-placed tethered PC headset in the survey. Pico 4, in fifth, holds 4.54%.
| Headset | Share of VR-equipped Steam accounts | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Oculus Quest 2 | 26.66% | +3.12 |
| Meta Quest 3 | 26.25% | -1.73 |
| Meta Quest 3S | 11.44% | -1.55 |
| Valve Index HMD | 10.83% | -0.46 |
| Pico 4 | 4.54% | +0.06 |
| Oculus Rift S | 3.63% | +0.07 |
| HTC Vive | 2.36% | +0.18 |
| Sony PS VR2 | 2.21% | +0.03 |
| Windows Mixed Reality | 1.99% | +0.08 |
| Oculus Rift | 1.97% | +0.07 |
| Meta Quest Pro | 1.44% | -0.10 |
| Bigscreen Beyond | 1.22% | +0.00 |
Source: Valve, Steam Hardware & Software Survey, July 2026
Model-level histories are covered in these Meta Quest 3 sales statistics and the matching data on the cheaper Quest 3S. Sony’s headset is tracked in this PlayStation VR2 shipment roundup.
Which Headsets Moved in July 2026
Valve publishes a change column alongside each share. Quest 2 gained 3.12 points while both current Meta models fell.
The Index lost 0.46 points, the third-largest decline among the 12 headsets shown. Valve does not explain what drives these shifts, and the survey’s sample composition varies month to month.
Valve Index Users in the Base Station Ecosystem
The Index tracks position using external SteamVR base stations. A handful of other headsets in the survey use the same standard.
The Index is by far the largest of that group. Every other lighthouse-tracked model sits below 2.4%.
| Base station tracked headset | Share of VR-equipped Steam accounts |
|---|---|
| Valve Index HMD | 10.83% |
| HTC Vive | 2.36% |
| Bigscreen Beyond | 1.22% |
| HTC Vive Pro | 0.73% |
| HTC Vive Pro 2 | 0.61% |
| Varjo Aero | 0.05% |
Source: Valve, Steam Hardware & Software Survey, July 2026. Rows list named lighthouse-tracked models only and are not a survey-defined category.
What Can Valve Index Users Still Buy?
Valve confirmed in November 2025 that it is no longer manufacturing the Index, in a statement from designer Lawrence Yang to The Verge, as reported by Engadget.
The storefront stayed up. Checked in August 2026, three items show Add to Cart and six show Out of Stock.
The gap is awkward for owners. The headset ships, but the controllers and base stations it needs do not, and the right replacement controller is unavailable while the left one is in stock.
| Item | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Valve Index VR Kit | $999.00 | Out of Stock |
| Headset + Controllers | $749.00 | Out of Stock |
| Index Headset | $499.00 | Add to Cart |
| Index Controllers | $279.00 | Out of Stock |
| Base Station | $149.00 | Out of Stock |
| Replacement Left Controller | $149.00 | Add to Cart |
| Replacement Right Controller | $149.00 | Out of Stock |
| Replacement Tether | $129.00 | Add to Cart |
| Face Gasket, 2 Pack | $39.99 | Out of Stock |
Source: Valve, Valve Index store page on Steam, August 2026 (US pricing)
The kit still lists at the $999 it carried at the 2019 launch. Hardware pricing across the wider platform appears in these Steam platform statistics.
Half-Life: Alyx and Valve Index Users
Half-Life: Alyx is included with Index hardware purchases. Valve released it on 23 March 2020 and it retails separately at $59.99.
Its Steam store page in August 2026 lists 105,010 total user reviews across all languages, of which 103,188 are positive and 1,822 negative. The English-language subset, 61,435 reviews, is 98% positive.
The game holds a Metacritic score of 93 and won VR Game of the Year at the Steam Awards 2020. Title-level engagement data sits in these video game industry statistics.
What Replaces the Index for Valve Index Users?
Valve announced Steam Frame on 12 November 2025 as the Index successor. It uses four monochrome cameras and infrared illuminators for inside-out tracking.
Base stations are not part of that design. Yang told The Verge that Valve is not working on lighthouse support for Steam Frame, which leaves existing tracking setups without a first-party successor.
| Attribute | Valve Index | Steam Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 28 June 2019 | Announced 12 November 2025 |
| Tracking | SteamVR Tracking base stations | Four onboard monochrome cameras |
| PC connection | Tethered, DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI not supported | Standalone or wireless PC link |
| Announced US price | $999 kit | Not announced |
Source: Valve Index release date, connection and pricing from the Valve Index store page on Steam, August 2026; Steam Frame tracking and announcement date from Valve’s November 2025 statements to The Verge, reported by Engadget. Valve’s Index store page does not publish a per-eye resolution figure.
Valve has not published a Steam Frame price or an exact ship date. For context on where PC hardware spending sits overall, see this PC gaming market size analysis.
FAQs
How many people use a Valve Index?
Valve has never published Index sales or user counts. The Steam Hardware Survey reports the Index at 10.83% of surveyed Steam accounts with a VR headset in July 2026. That is a proportion of an opt-in sample, not a headcount.
Is the Valve Index discontinued?
Yes. Valve confirmed in November 2025 that it is no longer manufacturing the Index. The store page remains live, and the $499 headset, $149 replacement left controller and $129 tether still showed Add to Cart in August 2026.
Do Reddit reports of Index stock shortages match the Steam store?
Reddit threads are not a data source, but the storefront confirms limited availability. In August 2026 the $999 kit, $279 controller pair and $149 base station all showed Out of Stock, while the headset alone remained purchasable.
Will Valve Index base stations work with Steam Frame?
No. Valve designer Lawrence Yang told The Verge that Valve is not working on lighthouse support for Steam Frame. The headset tracks using four onboard monochrome cameras and infrared illuminators instead.
Which headset do Reddit users say beats the Index on Steam?
Forum opinion varies and is not measurable. Valve’s July 2026 survey puts three Meta models above the Index: Quest 2 at 26.66%, Quest 3 at 26.25% and Quest 3S at 11.44%, against 10.83% for the Index.
Sources
https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/Steam-Hardware-Software-Survey-Welcome-to-Steam
https://store.steampowered.com/sub/354231/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/546560/HalfLife_Alyx/
https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/valve-confirms-that-it-has-stopped-making-the-index-vr-headset-150324456.html
