When it comes to virtual reality headsets, two of the top options currently on the market are the Valve Index and the HTC VIVE Pro. Both offer some amazing features that make them stand out from other VR headsets available. To help decide which is better for your needs, here’s a detailed comparison between these two headsets.

The Field of View (FOV) offered by each headset is an important consideration when choosing a VR headset. The Valve Index offers a 130° FOV which is slightly wider than the HTC VIVE Pro’s 110° FOV. For most users this difference in field of view will be unnoticeable, but those with wider vision may appreciate the Valve Index's larger viewing area more.

Another key specification to consider when looking at these two headsets is their resolution. The Valve Index offers 1440 × 1600 px while the HTC VIVE Pro offers 1440 × 1600 px as well - so there’s no clear winner here as both offer equal pixel count resolutions. This means you can expect smooth and clear visuals from both devices, depending on what games or applications you use with them.

Moving onto minimum hardware requirements needed to run each device, the Valve Index requires an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD RX480 GPU and Microsoft Windows operating system; while the HTC VIVE Pro requires Intel Core i5-4590 CPU and either Mac OS or Microsoft Windows operating system for operation. While both require high end hardware for optimal performance, it should be noted that only Windows users will be able to take advantage of all features available with either headset due to limitations imposed by Apple’s macOS platform.

In terms of tracking capabilities, both offer full 360 degree room scale tracking which allows you to move around freely in a virtual environment without any restrictions – something that cannot be said about some cheaper VR headsets available today. When it comes to refresh rate however, there is a slight difference between the two: The Valve Index has a refresh rate of 120 Hz while its counterpart only has 90 Hz refresh rate – although again this difference may not even be noticeable by most people using either device for gaming purposes.

So which one should you choose? Ultimately it boils down personal preference and budget; if money isn’t too much concern then I would personally go with the more powerful Valve Index thanks mainly because its higher FOV coupled with its higher refresh rate gives it an edge over HTC VIVE Pro in my opinion – although others might disagree! However if your main priority is saving money then going with HTX VIVE Pro makes more sense since it costs less despite offering similar features and performance as its competitor