Valve Index sales saw a tremendous surge in the final quarter of 2019 following the announcement of Half-Life: Alyx, the first installment in the Half-Life series in 13 years. While the VR-only Half-Life: Alyx is not technically the Half-Life 3 gamers have been praying for since Half-Life 2’s cliffhanger ending, the game is still reportedly the same length as its predecessor. Half-Life: Alyx’s trailer received over 10 million views in the first 24 hours following its release, clearly illustrating fans of the series have not lost interest in the franchise over the years.

The Index is still under a year old and is Valve’s second venture into the VR headset scene, the first being its collaboration with HTC to create the Vive in 2016. Although today’s Vive Pro is certainly a powerful piece of hardware, the Index features a higher refresh rate and field of view, comes at a considerably lower price, and includes a free copy of Half-Life: Alyx with every purchase. It’s also backwards compatible with Vive and Vive Pro controllers, making it an all-around enticing option.

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The histories behind Half-Life: Alyx and the Index help contextualize SuperData’s recent sales update, which states the Index outsold every other PC VR headset in the final quarter of 2019 and only stopped because Valve's Index sold out worldwide. Although the Index still trails behind the Oculus Quest and the PlayStation VR, Half-Life: Alyx’s unveiling was certainly the driving force behind this spike in sales. This means as anticipation for the game grows, and if the game is received well, Index sales may continue to run parallel. Although the game will support other VR headsets, playing the latest installment in Valve’s debut series – which is also its flagship VR title – on Valve’s own outstanding VR headset will certainly be an incredible experience.

Half-Life Alyx Cover

Creating a VR-only Half-Life experience has been in the works at Valve for some time. Unfortunately, projects were often met with results that did not meet Valve’s standards. This is unsurprising when considering the tremendous expectations gamers have for Half-Life 3, which designer Robin Walker described as a “terrifyingly daunting prospect” in an interview with The Game Awards. However, the hard work Valve’s team of over 50 people put into Half-Life: Alyx’s trailer alone was instantly apparent, and its reception has been tremendously positive, placing VR gaming back into the spotlight. Although Valve has said they have no plans to make a non-VR version of the game, Index sales have indicated this is not a problem for fans of the Half-Life series.

It's undeniable that the bar is set high for Half-Life: Alyx. Set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2, the game will also put players in direct control of Alyx for the first time, who will undoubtedly carry stark differences from the series’ usual silent protagonist, Gordon Freeman. Regardless of how the game turns out, fans are sure to be happy new life has been breathed into one of gaming’s most beloved franchises.

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Half-Life: Alyx releases for PC in March 2020.

Source: SuperData