Critics believe that Half-Life: Alyx exists merely to sell VR headsets, but whether that’s true or not, things are certainly working in Valve’s favor. While the $999 VR Kit is still available, the standard Valve Index Headset + Controllers package ($749.00) and Valve Index Headset package ($499.00) are now out of stock on the US store. Other regions (e.g., Cananda) appear to be experiencing similar shortages.
While Valve has confirmed that Half-Life: Alyx will be compatible with all PC VR headsets via Steam, the game is expected to play best on Index thanks in part to the advanced finger-tracking capabilities of the Index controllers. Valve also announced that it would be giving Half-Life: Alyx away to any owners of Index hardware (headset or controllers).