I am interested in your impressions as well.
Tomorrow it will arrive.
Edit: looks like not today.
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Finally got it yesterday and had about 3 hrs to play with index.
I’ll do a small writeup after work.
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Call in sick! 
“Yes sir…I’ve been diagnosed with persistent VR. I’ll probably need a week or so off until I get used to the haptic feedback. I know…I know…grave news indeed. See you next week sir…”
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So let’s talk about $1,000 box weighing at 16 pounds that I received.
Before setting it up, I’ve turned on oculus rift for the last time. Loaded up IL2 and in quick mission editor set myself as 262 at 8000 meters. Looked around cockpit to see what I can read and cannot. Noticed big engine gauge top right of the cockpit without moving body closer could not be read.
Setting expectations high, I’ve set myself up for failure. I thought that, at least according to other forums, I could read entire cockpit while sitting on the chair. Loaded valve index, loaded IL2 (without changing any settings), set quick mission with 262 at 8,000 meters …and that gauge is just slightly less blurry. Bummer.
Menus are easier to read. Things are more sharper. Screendoor effect is almost gone. But you’re still a pilot that forgot glasses…Now they are just different prescription.
It kind of feels like going from Oculus Dev Kit 2 to Consumer Version 1. That is what I felt after going from CV1 to Index. But things are not all bad.
Index brings a lot… (more to follow)
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Man…I wish you had a Reverb to compare to the Index. Of course, if your Index lasts longer than six weeks you’ve already beat the HP offering…haha…
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@anon51893362, I am not sure that reading dials is the best way to judge clarity. It very well may be, but I could imagine better ways to go about comparing that better match how our brains assess clarity. Think of it this way…
I can recall a similar problem reading gauges using my very good LCD @2400xwhatever and TrackIR. Countless times I had problems reading in-game displays. That’s why zoom is such an essential feature in 2D. My complaint with VR is my inability to spot and ID other planes and vehicles at relatively close distances, say two miles. And that is where I think a better comparison could be made.
Here’s a simple mission idea that is easy to make in DCS and slightly harder in IL2. Use a random trigger to spawn one (and only one) of 10 different plane types at 10 miles. Hack a stopwatch at mission start and stop it once you have confidently ID’d the plane. Do this enough times to even out the statistics and I think you will have a better frame from which to judge. Non-pilots have grossly exaggerated ideas about how far away things should be viewable from the air. But I know from years of using my Oculus that it gives me well under half the acuity that I enjoy in real life. If that deviation could be cut in half, it may well be enough improvement to satisfy my expectations.
The same probably holds true for you. My bet is that after testing this way you will find a more measurable improvement.
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I have to lean in to read some of the label text in the Global, and that isn’t even a large cockpit.
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That zoom feature sure would be nice IRL, huh? 
Possibly by not setting up your SteamVR settings…? I know nothing about the Index, but that sounds a bit strange. I would imagine you’d notice quite a difference in resolution…
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I was thinking exactly about that too.
To keep things similar, try to make sure your SS settings in SteamVR give your Index similar % of SS relative to its native resolution that you have set for your Oculus. Maybe you are just not pushing enough pixels to the Index 
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What I’m trying to say with “set for failure” is I set high expectations expecting near perfect vision. It was just not going to happen.
I can play with settings to see if they can make a difference…but I shouldn’t expect going from “can’t read” to “read”
Rift Dev Kit2 960 x 1080 resolution per eye
Rift has 1080 x 1200 resolution per eye (20% increase from prior version?)
Index has 1440×1600 resolution per eye (44%?)
One thing that left big impression compared to the way oculus did their thing was tracking. Oculus tracking sensors are attached to PC with shortish cable. Two sensors are unable to provide 360 degree tracking due to cable length and the way sensors are made. Index on the other hand doesn’t need cable attached to PC. Meaning tracking sensors can be moved anywhere. And with 5 meters long power cable, two sensors can provide full 360 degree tracking. To me Oculus provided so much frustration with this. While playing I had to keep track of where base stations are so that my body always facing it. With index, I no longer care and can immerse myself into game fully. Big improvement!
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I like that analogy. It makes sense to me. I thought I was in the market for VR but now I am unsure.
At 56, I still have 2020 for distance but not for reading. So I wear reading glasses for the computer. But if VR is not going to let me see the gauges …
What to do…
How far away do yo have to hold a book or magazine to make it look sharp? When you drive, do you need glasses to read the dash panel? If not then you will be just fine flying in VR. Besides, if you buy from Amazon or another outlet that has a no questions asked return policy, you could try it and see if it works for you.
So you just lean forward slightly. (And by gauges, I mean text. Not actual indication) Index does have a space for glasses if one desires. I recommend finding a local friend to try it out. Even with Oculus Rift, I still prefer it then to no VR. Just like in the days of TrackIR, we couldn’t think of flying without it. Now I can’t fly without VR.
Finally had some time in IL2 and DCS.
In IL2, I would load quick mission with P47 vs 8 x Fokker 1…don’t judge. In Oculus, I had difficulty spotting and lining up for a head-on shot. Enemy would blend in and just “pop” out of nowhere with little time to react. Index has no issue with this. Right when mission start, I see pixels of contact. Very impressive. Gives me ability to choose my approach much better.
Same with DCS. Contacts now are much easier to spot. Before I had difficulty going from speed indicator to contact and back without losing contact during maneuvering. With Index, this problem doesn’t exist.
Index does have some minuses. The “sweet” spot is smaller than Oculus. Meaning to get things into focus, you have to look at it directly. Problem with that is when checking six. Peripheral view is too unfocused. And try to turn 180 degree while seating…view moves outside of the cockpit which brakes immersion a little bit.
So in my opinion. Index is pretty darn good for flight sims.
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Few words about Index controller. It’s big. It straps-on to your hands. Unlike Oculus, battery is build-in. Charge it with a cable and while in VR, you could see status of the battery. Sensor can pick up each finger. So you can stick out a pinkie or a middle finger. Controller has a pressure senor so you can naturally pick up a sword and drop it. Feels very natural.
I think Index Controller is amazing. But problem is …Valve, billion dollar company, have not created any game to utilize that feature. They have a short demo…and that’s it. No training regarding which button does what. Very disappointing.
I expected boneworks released …but no.
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You are supposed to look at the dash panel when driving? That explains all my speeding tickets.
Dash panel, yes without glasses but gauges and text displays are big. Books/magazines, not closer than 3 feet/1 meter.
Based on @BeachAV8R’s recent traumatic incident, I’m ruling out the HP VR, so I guess it is down to the Valve Index or Oculus Rift S.
Good reminder about Amazon, thanks!
I think you will be just fine Will. The Rift S is a good headset, but I would hesitate to recommend it if your IPD is more than 4 mm either side of the magic 64mm. My IPD is 68 and I can safely say that while the image is bright and clear, I would definitely benefit from mechanical IPD adjustment. It was not a smart move by Oculus, or any other headset manufacturer, to drop that feature.
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