Using the Index Valve VR on a Laptop
I have wrote a short post for anyone who has previously bought and Index Valve (IV) kit and has had difficulties setting it up and / or getting it to work on their laptop, as I did. Even if you have a different VR Kit and laptop from what I have, this information may still be beneficial, so read on if you think it will help.
First off, I’m currently using the Alienware Area-51m R2 Gaming laptop, which is more than capable of running the IV. I’m assuming that you also have a laptop that has the correct specifications (See Minimal Requirements) to run the IV and you are aware that you have at least one DisplayPort that is a dedicated Graphics Processor Unit (GPU) (not an integrated GPU). My laptop has a dedicated GPU, mini DisplayPort and a 1.4 Output Port, so check if you have the correct specifications. The problem is that the IV has a male DisplayPort 1.4 (not a mini DisplayPort 1.4). Now when I purchased the IV, it was a pain to get it started on my laptop and when I tried to play Half-Life Alyx with an Oulus Rift S adaptor, the refresh rate was terrible and the images jumped around like hell. I searched numerous forums, YouTube videos and contacted Stream numerous times. Needless to say I got nowhere, until I pieced bits of information together that I picked up along the way. So in summary I had difficulties in finding the correct equipment to connect IV to my laptop and getting the refresh rate to be smoother. I solved this issue by purchasing a DisplayPort 1.4 Repeater and Mini Displayport to Displayport cable.
Setting the IV Kit up with a Laptop
Now there are other adaptors and cables that may work, however if you don’t want to go fishing around for for them after buying an expensive VR kit and all you want to do is get it working, then I suggest you get the above adaptor and cable.
The links below show you what kit I currently use to ensure I can use my IV VR kit:
- IV VR Kit;
- Cable Matters 8K DisplayPort 1.4 Repeater;
- UGREEN Displayport to Mini Displayport Cable;
- Alienware Area-51m R2 Laptop.
Minimal Requirements
It’s worth noting that the minimal requirements that your laptop must have to use most VR kits are as follows:
- OS: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1 or later, Windows 10;
- Processor: Intel Core i5-4590/AMD FX 8350 equivalent or better;
- Memory: 4 GB RAM;
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, AMD Radeon R9 290 equivalent or better;
- Network: Broadband internet connection;
- Additional Notes: 1x USB 2.0 or newer, HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2 or newer.
Setting Up
The image below shows the IV VR Kit, cables and Cable Matters Repeater connected together. Note that I have not shown the power supply cables connected to the Alienware Area-51m R2 laptop. The Cable Matters Repeater and the IV headset require their own separate power supplies.
Performance
The video below shows a short video of the quality that I am getting using a HDMI (although I recommend using a DisplayPort) cable linked from my laptop to the TV, whilst playing Half-Life Alyx (T-0.14s). You can see both power supplies for the laptop are plugged in, which is highly recommended, as I found the game would jump without them both being plugged in. Also, it is recommended that you do not have too many applications / webpages open, as this can also affect the performance. Finally, you can see that I am getting 7.6ms of 6.9ms (144Hz) which is marginally high due to a slight issue with the headset (T-0.35s), and I still get decent a performance. I hope this has saved you some hassle and time.