Valve's high-end Index VR headset is still out of stock, and as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, the company anticipates "far fewer" units shipping over the next few months than initially planned. However, Valve also anticipates having inventory available in time for Half-Life: Alyx.
"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," Valve said in a statement to UploadVR.
It's a bit of a confusing statement, in that it's not clear if whatever stock becomes available before Half-Life: Alyx launches will be enough to meet demand. We'll have to wait and find out.
"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'," Valve added.
The coronavirus has disrupted various markets, including the tech sector. In addition to the Index being hard to come by, the Oculus Quest is in short supply as well, with Facebook recently acknowledging the impact the virus is having on production.
"Oculus Quest has been selling out in some regions due to high demand. That said, like other companies we’re expecting some additional impact to our hardware production due to the coronavirus. We’re taking precautions to ensure the safety of our employees, manufacturing partners and customers, and are monitoring the situation closely. We are working to restore availability as soon as possible," Facebook said a statement.
It's a crummy situation, though obviously delays in hardware shipments are secondary in concern to the continued health threat from the virus, and loss of life.
