Comparing the Valve Index and HTC VIVE Pro 2 virtual reality headsets, it is easy to see that both products offer a superior level of immersion in comparison to older VR headset models. Both devices feature 360-degree tracking, room-scale capabilities, and impressive refresh rates of 120 Hz.

The Valve Index has a slightly larger field of view at 130° versus the HTC VIVE Pro 2's 120° FOV. For those looking for a more expansive viewing experience, this could be considered a major pro when making their decision. The Valve Index also boasts an improved resolution at 1440 × 1600 px compared to the HTC VIVE Pro 2's 2448 × 2448 px. While the HTC Vive offers better resolution overall, those with weaker graphics cards may find that the lower resolution offered by the Valve Index does not negatively impact their gaming experience.

In terms of hardware requirements, both headsets require an Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD Ryzen 1500 equivalent processor as well as either NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 480 graphics card to run properly. For gamers who are upgrading from an older generation of VR headsets, this could be seen as both a pro and con depending on whether they already have powerful enough hardware to support either device.

For me personally I preferred using the Valve Index out of these two options due to its increased field of view which allowed for greater immersion in games and videos alike without feeling restricted by a smaller viewing angle like on some other headsets I've used before. The improved resolution was also very noticeable when playing high graphical fidelity games such as Half Life: Alyx making it my go-to choice between these two models.