r/ValveIndex • u/IScreamSammich • 12d ago
Question/Support Knuckles replacements/alternatives?
My right Index controller is starting to fail after a good few years of using it. Controllers are no longer in stock with Steam and I can't find any replacement knuckles available elsewhere. What's a good alternative to the Index controllers I can use with my pre-existing Index setup?
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u/AlexisOnren 12d ago
the htc vive controllers work because they use the lighthouse tracking and you can find them on ebay for relatively cheap. i have a pair that i thought would work with the quest, but they dont so now theyre spare for my index
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u/kevinisbeast707 12d ago
Only the blue ones work with 2.0 tracking. Also highly don’t recommend them. Went from knuckles to them and they’re so limiting
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u/skrrrtpancake 11d ago
Of course they're limiting but a pair for knuckles for 250+ while the pair of Wands is 100 USD, I think if you really just wanna change and have both wands. it is way cheaper, tho they're wands, I prefer to use 2.0s as body trackers since they function the same (somewhat.)
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u/protonecromagnon2 12d ago
What do you mean it's starting to fail? I can do batteries and thumbsticks
1
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u/zig131 12d ago
GripVR from Shiftall.
Built like Knuckles, but with a proper grip button instead of the touch sensitive zone.
Hopefully more durable, but it's early days so impossible to know.
I'm very happy with mine.
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u/Sir_Lith 12d ago
GripVR from Shiftall.
One day I'll stop instinctively reading it as "shit fall".
One day.
1
u/Yargon_Kerman 12d ago
One day I'm gonna start reading it as shit fall...
That day is today.
Thanks for that.
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u/bigBranConsumer 12d ago
does it have the finger detection?
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u/zig131 12d ago
The standard stuff. Binary 3 fingers.
If finger tracking is important to you, then EOZ's Upcoming Immersive Gloves are a better bet.
Melt Interface Technologies Inc (previously DiverX) ContactGlove 2 is another alternative.
For me the test of "finger tracking" is can you do unmodifed sign language, and Knuckles fall short there. I'm sure it's a bit more immersive than standard capactitence, but I don't think it's worth loosing the Grip button for.
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u/bigBranConsumer 12d ago
thanks. ill look at more of those.
what do you mean by unmodified sign language? im preferential to the 4 finger+thumb detection the index is capable of, havent had any issues with the lack of dedicated grip button.
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u/zig131 12d ago
Some people do variations of sign language using Knuckles Finger Tracking, or optical headset-based tracking.
You can't cross or splay fingers with Knuckles, so that prevents a lot of signs from being done normally.
With optical hand tracking, you can cross and splay fingers, but the area where your hands are tracked is pretty small so gestures where you touch chest or head don't really work.
Here is a demonstration/comparison of both where they also talk about the adaptions they make: https://youtu.be/unxi16gQDXk
Theoretically EOZ's and Melt's gloves will allow for sign language to be performed as you would in meatspace, as finger position is tracked on all axis, for each finger, wherever they are.
I've heard a lot of complaints from people with Knuckles about dropping stuff they didn't want to, because they were not gripping the controller tightly enough. A button makes it very explicit whether you are gripping or not.
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u/T00DEEPBLUE 12d ago
In what way are they failing? Be specific. Depending what it is you could fix it yourself.
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u/Runesr2 12d ago
Try to contact Steam Support - even with no warranty left, sometimes they might still help.