Half-Life: Alyx Won't Be Exclusive To Valve's VR Headset--Oculus Will Work Too

Valve unveiled the next game in the legendary Half-Life series--a VR exclusive called Half-Life: Alyx--earlier this week. It will be compatible with most of the major VR gaming headsets when it launches in March 2020, including Valve Index, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest (through PC Link), HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality.

There will also be several ways to play; the game will accommodate roomscale setups as well as sitting or standing experiences. For movement options, you can use teleportation (with screen fading in and out when going from point to point), shifting (where you dash from point to point), or artificial locomotion by using the analog stick to walk/run. Index users will be able to take advantage of the controller's finger-tracking technology, and all other platforms will be trigger-based for hand grips in-game.

If you suddenly find yourself interested in buying a new VR headset, be sure to check out our guide to the best Black Friday deals on Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift S.

A huge perk for Valve Index owners is that they will get Half-Life: Alyx for free, while everyone else will have to purchase it for $60 or its current pre-order discounted price of $54. There will also be Index-exclusive content such as gun skins, SteamVR Home spaces with environments from the game, and themed content for Counter-Strike Global Offensive. However, you'll need to buy an Index by the end of 2019 to qualify for that content.

You can check out all the details on VR features on the official Half-Life: Alyx page. For more on Half-Life: Alyx, check out all our coverage below: