Half-Life: Alyx Buying Guide: Review, Compatible VR Headsets, And More

Strange as it might sound, a new Half-Life game is out now on Steam. Set between the original Half-Life and Half-Life 2, Half-Life: Alyx is a VR-only game that shows us what its titular character was doing before Gordon Freeman's run through City 17, which looks more lovingly detailed than ever. VR can be a major financial hurdle for some players (especially those without a juiced-up PC), but thankfully, Alyx is compatible with a wide variety of headsets outside of Valve's own Index, including the Oculus Quest and Rift S, the HTC Vive, and more.

The game had a long-standing pre-order price of $54, but it's now back up to $60 for launch, so hopefully you secured your copy early. Additionally, ordering an Index headset or accessory will get you Half-Life: Alyx free of charge.

Pre-Order Half-Life: Alyx | $60

Valve's new release earned a superb 9/10 in GameSpot's Half-Life: Alyx review. "Not only has Half-Life: Alyx made good on its shift to VR, it has elevated many of the aspects we've come to love about Half-Life games," wrote Michael Higham. "It may not be as bombastic as previous games, but the intimacy of VR brings you closer to a world you might have thought you knew over the past 22 years. Even when familiarity starts to settle in, its gameplay systems still shine as a cohesive whole. And as it concludes, Half-Life: Alyx hits you with something unforgettable, transcending VR tropes for one of gaming's greatest moments."

Half-Life: Alyx-compatible VR headsets

One great thing about Half-Life: Alyx is that it's compatible with most VR headsets. In fact, any headset that works with Steam VR also works with Half-Life: Alyx. You can refer to the list of compatible headsets below. While many headsets are out of stock, some of these go on sale quite regularly, so check out the best VR headset deals right now. For more information on which headset is right for you, we also have a guide to the best VR headsets of 2020, most of which will work with Half-Life: Alyx.

• Valve Index
• HTC Vive Pro
• HTC Vive
• HTC Vive Cosmos
• Oculus Rift S
• Oculus Quest (requires Oculus Link cable)
• Any Windows Mixed Reality headset

In preparation for Half-Life: Alyx's launch, Valve recently made every game in the Half-Life series free until April 1. If you want to familiarize yourself with the series before Alyx's release, now's an excellent time. The last entry was 2007's Half-Life 2: Episode Two, which infamously left its story unresolved.