So it looks like I have a few options, but they all seem to reduce the FOV to varying degrees, with the Hons VR Valve Index Prescription Adapter Lens Lab seeming to do this the least, if I’m not mistaken. However, I have seen comments on other forums where users have complained that the VR Lens Lab creates visual distortions that make virtual reality gaming problematic. However, these comments were about a different VR headset and were written about 3 years ago, so the company may have fixed this issue and states on their website that the lenses do not distort the image.
Has anyone had experience using these lenses with a Valve Index virtual reality device, and if so, can you tell us how it worked for you, how it affected the field of view (if at all), etc.? Or do you have any information on another prescription VR glasses provider that you think is better than these options?
I didn’t think I’d write about this, but I think it’s worth a mention. These things aren’t cheap, but I wasn’t expecting much more than the product wrapped in something, really. Inside the unsuspicious little cardboard box was a nice eyeglass case, some moist eyeglass cleaning wipes, a microfiber cloth…. And gummy bears. Inside the case were the two adapters with the corrective lenses, protected by pretty little cloth bags with the alignment printed on them.
I don’t know why none of the packaging is on their website. It would do them good, to be honest.
The inserts
They are 3D printed as far as I can tell, but the quality is pretty good. The inserts are lightweight, but seem sturdy enough for their purpose. They slide over the index lenses surprisingly easily, but they stay perfectly in place. At first the right insert slid back when I looked straight up, but after I put it back in, it seems to be holding now. I have no idea what happened there.
Instructions are not included or on the website, but there’s not much you can do anyway other than slide the insert on. The orientation of the inserts is stamped on the top of the ring.
Appearance and use
The lenses are consistent with all other reviews I could find about VR Optican lenses. They do their job perfectly, with no distortion or other artifacts. Since these inserts take up a bit of space, you may not be able to get the index lenses as close as you could without them.
I myself manage 3 clicks before the lenses touch my eyelashes. I decided to back off this setting a bit. The edges of the screen are visible when I look straight ahead, and that’s more than enough, I think. Compared to wearing glasses, I can now look around with my eyes without being bothered by the edges of the lenses or the lack of sharpness behind them.
They may or may not reduce the visible glare a bit. But that’s more of a side effect of pushing things into peripheral vision a little more because of the proximity to the lenses than before…. Or it may be a placebo effect in action. The glare is still there, so it’s not like this will make a difference if index glare is already a problem for you.
Conclusion
I suck at writing these types of reports. These things do what they are supposed to do, and they do it very well. However, they are also very expensive. If my prescription wasn’t in the lowest price range, I might not have bought them.
The lenses still hold up very well in the index (but apparently not all of them). These lenses are another plus for comfort and quality of life, just like many other details in the index.
