SteamVR

SteamVR

63 ratings
Index Controllers: Comfort guide for users with big hands
By BOLL
This guide aims to help you figure out how to make the Index Controllers comfortable for you, even if you have long fingers or a wide palm.
2
2
2
   
Award
Favorite
Favorited
Unfavorite
Foreword
Do you also suffer from paddles for hands which makes the Index Controllers uncomfortable? This guide will help you diagnose and treat this terrible condition!
Symptoms
Wide palm
  • The skin between the index finger and thumb chafes against the strap lever or the space between it and the controller.
  • The skin at the bottom of the hand can get pinched where the elastic goes through the controller.
  • There’s just not enough space for the entire hand, it’s squished inside the hand strap pressing against things on either side.
Long fingers
  • The grip feels too narrow, it’s uncomfortable to grip as you curl your fingers more than usual.
  • The strap will rest high up on the back of your hand, near the knuckles, which does not work well with opening the hand.
  • The thumb will rest high up on the trackpad and it is hard to reach the face buttons without bending your thumb a lot.
Remedies
Elastic Reroute
This is a solution for both wide palms and long fingers. It lets the hand rest further down on the grip, it opens up more space for the hand to avoid chafing and pinching, and it lets the strap rest further down on the back of your hand where it is supposed to be.

Press down the bottom button to release the pressure on the hand strap elastic and then pull it completely out of the hole. Then first route it over the tracking arch on the outside and then toward the inside and through the strap hole again. Make sure the corner of the strap is inside the arch instead of outside. See images below.

Knuckles Booster
The booster is a partial solution for long fingers, it will thicken the grip making it fit the hand better and move the hand position down a bit for a better thumb location on the face plate.

This accessory does not come in the box, sadly, and cannot be bought from Valve directly, but they provide the files necessary to print them. If you lack a printer or a friend with a printer you can also find pre-printed boosters for sale online, or use an online printing service.
Afterword
Personally I need to apply both of these solutions to have a comfortable experience with the Index Controllers. That said, I have friends and acquaintances that have either needed the boosters or the elastic reroute, but not both. What you specifically need is very much up to how much and in what way your hands are paddles.
10 Comments
TonyBamanaboniNZ 7 Jun, 2023 @ 4:09am 
ill try this out my main issue was reach to analogs felt unnatural and my palm overlapping the grip falsely setting off the finger tracking ill let you know how it goes
Saturday Night Sillyness 29 Apr, 2023 @ 3:48pm 
What about the small handed users.
Syrsly 27 Apr, 2023 @ 6:27pm 
Up to this point, I just dealt with the discomfort. It only seemed to ever bother my right palm and index finger, nothing else... but my hands are the same size as each other, so this made me think maybe one is bigger... anyway, thanks for the tips! I'm liking the elastic reroute tip a lot, but it makes the controller too loose. I haven't printed the knuckles booster yet, but I think it might be one of my first prints on my new printer. Looked at various boosters before and was always just too lazy to print them. lol
impudentinc 23 Mar, 2023 @ 3:12pm 
what the fuck is wrong with you flippy.
Flippy 26 Feb, 2023 @ 1:46pm 
you got some nice hands
KebabKenraali 28 Jan, 2023 @ 11:15pm 
- Lana, Lana..... Lanaaaaaa!

- What

- Dangerzone
Vansen -Be Sharp- 7 Dec, 2021 @ 1:29pm 
I still play with my Samsung Odyssey VR-Set because I broke my thumbs every time I played with my friend's Valve Index. Now I'm really thinking about buying the Index. Awesome.
2Shy 19 Nov, 2021 @ 8:38pm 
Thank you for saving me from my own crypt keeper hands, friend.
pma emoji :33 2 Mar, 2021 @ 6:03pm 
If anyones wondering where to buy these grip boosters if you dont have access to a 3d printer. I got mine from 3Dexpressions on etsy. They came quick even though it was from the EU to Canada, and they came nice and sanded. 100% recommend them.
pma emoji :33 2 Mar, 2021 @ 6:01pm 
Hi, fellow piano finger wielder here.

If you experience the symptoms listed in this guide, the boosters will probably be the best 20$ you ever spend on a PC accessory. They completely changed the game for me and made the knuckles way more comfortable. I can wear them 8+ hours now no problem.