If you've been hoping for a Valve Index restock before Half-Life: Alyx drops, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that a restock is coming within the week. The bad news is that Valve believes this next batch of VR headsets is going to sell out very quickly.
A tweet from @Nintendrew_ (via The Verge) has the good (and bad) news. An e-mail was sent out to customers who are interested in the Valve Index. Aside from announcing the date and time when you can grab it, it also contains an ominous warning about availability:
Due to high demand, we expect available stock to sell out on Monday. All purchases beyond this initial quantity will be fulfilled in the order in which they are received, as supplies increase over the coming months.
That's a big oof right there.
Production of the Valve Index headset was recently impacted by the coronavirus epidemic in China. Valve had warned users that there were going to be shortages for the forseeable future, although it seems that they're working hard to get back on track. The company recently released a statement on the matter (via UploadVR):
"With Half-Life: Alyx coming March 23rd, we are working hard to meet demand for the Valve Index and want to reassure everyone that Index systems will be available for purchase prior to the game’s launch. However, the global Coronavirus health crisis has impacted our production schedules so we will have far fewer units for sale during the coming months compared to the volumes we originally planned. Our entire team is working hard right now to maximize availability. To receive a notification as soon as the Valve Index is back in stock, please visit Steam and click 'Notify Me'."
Today also happens to be the day that level environments are coming to SteamVR Home for Valve Index owners. The level environments were announced alongside three gameplay trailers that showed off various mechanics and environments in this upcoming first-person shooter and will let players see more of Half-Life: Alyx.
On the upside, Valve also says that supplies are going to be increasing as time goes on. If you want to grab a Valve Index to play Half-Life: Alyx on launch day, however, then this is probably going to be your last chance unless you're fine with getting one secondhand — or paying out the butt on eBay.
When is the Next Valve Index Restock?
So, if you're hoping to get in on this Valve Index restock, when can you pick up one of these shiny new VR headsets?
According to the e-mail screenshotted by @Nintendrew_, the restock will be taking place on Monday, March 9, 2020, starting at 1:00 PM Eastern — that's 10:00 AM Pacific for you folks out West.
You'll have a chance to buy a Valve Index headset (or any of the other accessories) when it goes live at the Valve Index Steam Store page. You can learn more about it at the headset's official website.
Read more about how the COVID-19 novel coronavirus is affecting the gaming world at our Coronavirus Gaming Convention Cancellations and Game Delays Hub.
Are you going to get a Valve Index when it restocks or are you going to wait a while? Which VR headset do you think is the best? Let us know in the comments below!
