Seeing one of your Valve Index base stations blinking red can raise some alarms that something is wrong with the hardware.
But while a blinking red light typically indicates your base station is not working properly or needs an update, the issue may be resolved with some diligent troubleshooting.
This guide will break down the common reasons for a blinking red base station light and actionable solutions to get your hardware fully operational again.
Why is My index Base Station Blinking Red?
There are a few reasons why your base station would blink red. If it’s blinking red then it’s an indication that the valve index base station has encountered an error.
Most users refer to this as KIA meaning Killed in Action. This essentially means that it’s not working properly anymore and you will need to RMA it which I will be getting into down below.
Another reason your valve index is blinking is that it needs updating. When it’s waiting for an update, it will indicate this to you by flashing.
Check Power Connections For All Base Stations
One common reason you could be having trouble with your base station is that the connections to your base stations are causing it to work incorrectly.
There are a few things you need to check with the connections to make sure that this isn’t what is causing the problem.
The first thing I would try doing is unplugging all connections to your base station, waiting for a few seconds, and then connecting them back again.
If that doesn’t do the trick, make sure your Base Stations are pointed at your play area and are visible to you.
Sometimes, when they aren’t facing your play area, your devices may find it hard to track the station if they can’t detect the sensors.
Check For An Update
The blinking red light sometimes means the base station is waiting for an update. If you don’t update the device regularly then this is more likely to be the reason.
To avoid this, you can check for updates on your device.
To Update the Base Station:
- Go to SteamVR.com from your computer.
- If you see an icon with “i”, mouse over it to check if your firmware is outdated.
- If it is, click Update Device.
- Unplug your base stations from their power adapters.
- Now connect the base station to your USB power adapter.
- While pressing the channel button at the back, connect the base station to your computer
- Once the base station has been detected by SteamVR, the firmware should start updating.
Check The Firmware
Do not attempt this unless your base stations have been having this issue for a while and it does not; seem like it’ll be resolved anytime soon.
The steps below essentially fix the current firmware you have on the device and then update it to a new firmware.
1. While your Base Station is turned off, connect it using a micro-B USB cable to your PC.
2. Press the mode button and plug in the power lead.
3. Let go of the button once it’s mentioned as a USB mass storage device.
4. The drive you’re looking for is called “CRP_DISABLED” and has the “firmware.bin” file. Delete it.
5. Copy over onto the drive the “lighthouse_tx_htc_2_0-calibration-rescue-244.bin” file.
6. When this copy has been completed, remove the power lead.
7. Now give it a few seconds until you plug the power lead back in again.
It should start flashing green or red. Green means it succeeded.
If it is flashing red that means it means that this didn’t work correctly. Unplug the power again and try steps 1 to 7 but use this firmware file “lighthouse_tx_htc_2_0-244-2016-03-12.bin” instead of the rescue one.
It should be working correctly now. You can confirm by setting its mode to “A” and tracking with it alone. Once this has been done you can start using your other base again.
Restart SteamVR
Restarting SteamVR is a good way to troubleshoot existing problems such as this one. If you’re still having issues with the base station then check if SteamVR is having problems.
Restart SteamVR by closing it, unplug the Power and USB cords, wait for a few seconds then plug all the cords back in.
Once you have done this, check if the station is still blinking.
Replace Your Base Station
If you can’t seem to fix the problem, you need to replace the base station. The red light generally means that it’s not working properly.
This is much easier than going through a lot of troubleshooting steps to find that they don’t work anyway. If you do manage to fix the issue eventually then this isn’t necessary.
Once you have a new base station, if it does end up having the same issue again, you can always return it within the next 30 days.
These returns are also free so you won’t have to give it a second thought. With your new station, it’s recommended that you update it regularly and use the cables it came with rather than third-party cables.
Start an RMA With Steam
If you don’t know what an RMA is, it means Return Merchandise Action. It’s a Process Steam has to return items users aren’t satisfied with or want to return.
Since a blinking base station means that it’s not functioning properly, instead of going through the trouble of troubleshooting it, you could just return the item and get a new one.
A blinking red light is difficult to resolve, so if you have tried contacting Steam and haven’t heard back or have tried the recommendations they have given and the ones in the article, then this would be your best bet.
You can do this by going through Steam Support. Follow the prompts and select which hardware product you’re having trouble with.
Contact Steam Support
You can contact SteamVR if you haven’t been able to get rid of this problem.
Because the Valve Index isn’t a widely used VR headset, only Steam support specialists would have experience in operating the system and knowing what causing issues like blinking and so forth.
I recommend that you submit a support ticket. This gives you the opportunity to explain the specific issue you’re having and what have already done to try and get rid of it.
They will be able to assess the problem and use their past experience to tell you what the next steps are via email.
Go to this SteamVR support page here and click on Contact SteamVR. From here, just log in and follow the steps.
Conclusion
While a blinking red base station light commonly means you need it replaced, the problem is often fixable through measures like checking wired connections, updating firmware, restarting SteamVR software, or replacing defective hardware.
If issues persist even after troubleshooting, initiating an RMA via Steam Support can secure you a replacement free of charge. This means that you’ll get a brand-new base station without having to pay again.
So don’t panic and declare your base station KIA just yet – some systematic steps can usually resuscitate it even when the issue has been persisting longer.
Just be prepared to request an exchange if hardware replacement ends up needed.
