However, not all fields present in the VGA are documented here, so you will either look up a different reference, or preserve the undocumented fields. Some of these have been producing laptops for gaming for decades, and have serious pedigree, while others are newer to the game and are producing exciting and innovative new models. To customize the lighting or button configuration you’ll need to download the software – SteelSeries Engine still works for both Windows and Mac, but there’s also the company’s newer (and still) Windows-exclusive GG, which includes Engine and Moments, a tool for sharing and communicating with friends. Its design – which Steelseries say took 15 months to develop – seems to be the best of both. Don’t have much more to say on the setup, because there’s really not much to it. Partly because of the price factor, which is a genuine issue to adoption, especially with the more limited VR options on Linux with just the HTC Vive and the Valve Index. VR overall is still pretty much in its infancy really and to have Valve support it like this on Linux is again amazing – when you think about the small user share of the operating system for the desktop.
Plug it in, install SteamVR and some games and that’s pretty much it overall. Even when you do run out of battery, you can plug it in (via USB-C!) and it’ll get its first hour of charge in just 30 seconds, two hours of charge in one minute, and six hours of charge in three minutes. Read the instructions, plug everything in correctly and load the VR settings to calibrate things. Factory settings are often more complex than they may appear at first glance. See also: our first VR livestream VOD. Weirdly, you need to move the VR View window around, at least once, for that to actually work first. Initially trying out the room scale, where you need to map out your area by walking around while holding down a controller trigger, it only just gave me the okay with a few gentle area tweaks. Of course, it might just need a 50 cent rubber tire (but that is for another FAQ). While MMO players might want to stick with something with even more buttons, everyone else should find the arrangement on the Rival 5 satisfactory to their needs.
You don’t even have to opt into any Beta, or resort to anything on the command line, everything is nicely in the Steam UI. I have a permanent injury in my right wrist, which is painful often and using a mouse or a gamepad can really aggravate it. Although, you can also get special lens cover inserts through VR Optician to match the strength of your glasses which is certainly interesting. You really can wear glasses quite comfortably with the Index headset squeezed on tight. The Valve Index can be easily scratched, so get some covers on it. Seriously, it can’t get any easier than this. If only it was a tad smaller so I could hit that silver wedge at the front easier. I went with the Valve Index Lens Protector from Prettygood3d on etsy, along with a simple silicone cover for the Face Gasket so it can be kept clean and fresh a little easier. This was created by GSA Content Generator Demoversion!
The unit does not require a PC to be connected in order to convert the s-video or composite video to VGA, thus you can use it as a stand-alone video-to-vga converter. In addition, some differences can’t be realized until dismantling the video cable, which is totally unnecessary. That said, I nearly punched out a window and walked into a wall and a door – so standing-only it is with not too much movement. Even so, the standing option still has quite a bit of leeway on foot movement. And although the dramatic swoop of the Pulsefire Dart is even more like a nineties-era productivity mouse than the gentle curves of the G703, its padded rubber sides feel luxurious compared to the weird sticky rubber on the Logitech model. If you find such a lightweight mouse too skittish you can always adjust the sensitivity on the fly, up to 18,000 cpi. Can you increase your chances to win?