REQUIREMENTS NEEDED FOR COMPUTERS TO SUPPORT VR
Today, there are a wide variety of VR systems available to the average consumer. Virtual reality offers an immersive experience for hardcore gaming enthusiasts, but your PC might require updates in order to support your VR system. VR compatibility will depend on the specifications of your CPU, GPU, RAM, hard drive, and other core components. In this informative guide, we dive deep into some of the most popular VR systems on the market, as well as system requirements provided by the manufacturers of Oculus Rift and HTC Vive VR headsets. With our help and the right components, you can prepare your desktop or laptop computer for the rich visuals of virtual reality gaming.
PC REQUIREMENTS NEEDED TO SUPPORT VR
Whether you’re in the market for a new PC, building a high-end rig for gaming, or upgrading your PC to virtual reality standards, the hardware requirements of your VR system are essential to achieving the ultimate VR experience. The official requirements and hardware demands will vary from Oculus to Vive systems.
OFFICIAL OCULUS RIFT RECOMMENDATIONS
With a PC built to official recommendations, you can play almost any game on maximum settings on a standard 1080p monitor. These specifications ensure that developers can optimize for a known hardware configuration.
CPU: Intel Core i3-8100
GPU: RX 570 (or GTX 1060 3GB)
Motherboard: ASRock Z370 Pro4
Storage 1: Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD
Storage 2: None (or Crucial MX500 250GB SSD)
Power Supply: Seasonic S12II 620
RAM: 8GB DDR4
Case: Corsair 200R
CPU Cooler: Stock (or Deepcool Gammaxx 400)
Operating System: Windows 10
Official HTC Vive Recommendations
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 290 equivalent
CPU: Intel i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 equivalent
RAM: 4 GB or more
Video Output: HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2 or newer
USB Port: 1x USB 2.0 or better port
Operating System: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1 or later, Windows 10
RELIABLE BUILD FOR VR GAMING
There’s no need to spend a large amount of money to play games with reasonable detail and high frame rates. With case, motherboard, power supply, and solid state drive updates, you can get a great value and better performance.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600
GPU: GeForce GTX 1070
Motherboard: MSI B350M Gaming Pro
Storage 1: Crucial MX500 250GB SSD
Storage 2: Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD
Power Supply: EVGA GQ 650W
RAM: 16GB DDR4
Case: Corsair Carbide 270R
CPU Cooler: Stock
Operating System: Windows 10
HARDCORE BUILD FOR VR GAMING
Prepare your PC for VR games that haven’t even hit the market yet and achieve 90 FPS in any game made for Rift or Vive, all while staying within a budget of $2,000 or less.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
GPU: GTX 1080
Motherboard: MSI B350 PC Mate
Storage 1: Crucial MX500 500GB SSD
Storage 2: Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD
Power Supply: EVGA 850 G2
RAM: 16GB DDR4
Case: Corsair Crystal 460X or Enthoo Pro
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S SE-AM4
Operating System: Windows 10
