with a growing number of PC VR headsets, such as the HTC VIVE Pro 2 and HP Reverb G2, there is plenty of reason for Consumers and companies to now to jump into the high-end PC VR market. To make full use of VR, it is important that the PC meets certain hardware requirements, such as a powerful graphics card (GPU) and processor (CPU). An important question is therefore: can my PC handle VR? In this blog we explain per Headset which requirements the PC must meet.
VR gaming on a PC is more demanding from a PC than a standard computer game. In short, this has to do with with the fact that the resolution in VR glasses is a lot higher than the standard resolution of a PC game. In addition, VR games must be fully rendered and displayed in a 3D environment with smooth resolution for an enjoyable gaming experience.
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Before we go to the specifications of the different VR glasses, we will first explain how to find the specifications of your PC. Note: Most PC-VR headsets do not support MacOS.
How to find the specifications of your PC
To determine whether your PC can handle VR, there are four important parts of the PC that must meet the correct requirements:
Video card (GPU)
Press the Start button and search for 'device manager';
Then expand the heading 'display adapters' or 'display adapters'. The video card that is in your PC is shown below.
Processor (CPU) and RAM (Memory)
Press the Start button and type 'about your PC';
In the About window, scroll down to find 'Processor' (aka CPU) and 'Installed RAM'.
Video output (ports)
For this you need to look at the back of your Computer and see what ports are available on the back, with name on your GPU (which is usually lower). The ports can look very similar, so look closely at the shapes of each. Remember you need a free port to connect your Headset to.
Now that you know with the specifications of your Computer, we can look at the recommended hardware specifications for the various VR headsets. For this overview we use the most common VR glasses. Are the VR glasses that you have (or are planning to purchase) not listed? Then take a moment Contact on with our customer service so that we can provide you with the right advice!
Oculus Rift S Recommended PC Specifications
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or higher
CPU: Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or higher
Memory: 8 GB RAM or more
Video output: DisplayPort
USB ports: 1x USB 3.0 port
Operating System: Windows 10
Oculus Quest 2 with Oculus Link Cable PC Specifications
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or higher (Note: not all video cards are suitable for Oculus Link. Click here for more info)
CPU: Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or higher
Memory: 8 GB RAM or more
Video output: N / A
USB ports: 1x USB 3.0 port
Operating System: Windows 10
Valve Index Recommended PC Specifications
Video card: NVIDIA GTX 1070 / AMD equivalent or higher
CPU: Quad Core +
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Video output: DisplayPort 1.2
USB ports: 1x USB 2.0 port (USB 3.0 required for camera passthrough), 1x DisplayPort v1.2
Operating System: Windows 10, SteamOS, Linux
HTC VIVE Cosmos Recommended PC Specifications
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon Vega 56 or higher
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 / AMD FX 8350 equivalent or higher
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Video output: DisplayPort 1.2
USB ports: 1x USB 3.0 port
Operating System: Windows 10
HTC VIVE Cosmos Elite Recommended PC Specifications
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon Vega 56 or higher
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 / AMD FX 8350 equivalent or higher
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Video output: DisplayPort 1.2
USB ports: 1x USB 3.0 port
Operating System: Windows 10
HTC VIVE Pro, VIVE Pro Eye and VIVE Pro 2 Recommended PC Specifications
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1070 / Quadro P5000 / AMD Radeon Vega 56 or higher
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 / AMD FX 8350 or higher
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Video output: DisplayPort 1.2
USB ports: 1x USB 3.0 port
Operating System: Windows 10
HP Reverb G1 and Reverb G2 Recommended PC Specifications
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1080 / AMD RX 5700 or higher
CPU: Intel Core i5, i7 / AMD Ryzen 5 or higher
Memory: 8GB
Video output: DisplayPort 1.3
USB port: 1x USB 3.0
Operating System: Windows 10 (may require latest updates)
There is not one PC recommended for Virtual reality use. You look here with name at the specifications in the PC. It is therefore important to first see which VR glasses you want to use. For example, some glasses need a more powerful video card than other glasses. In VR use with the video card (GPU) and the processor (CPU) in particular are important. These ensure that you can play the Virtual reality application or game smoothly.
Which PC is best for VR?
The best VR PC is a Computer with powerful graphics card (minimum GTX 1060, but preferably higher) and a fast processor (minimum Intel Core i5).
Which video card (GPU) do I need at least for VR?
We recommend at least a GTX 1060 video card if you want to connect VR glasses to your PC. But in general, the more powerful the video card, the better the performance.
Which processor (CPU) do I need at least for VR?
We recommend using at least an Intel Core i5 processor if you want to connect VR glasses to your PC. Are you planning to do other things on the PC in addition to the VR glasses - and do you want to do this at the same time? Then you might be better off opting for an even better processor, such as the Intel Core i7.
Can I also connect VR glasses to a laptop?
Yes, this is certainly possible! Again, pay close attention to a powerful video card and a good PC so that you don't have problems with playing VR games smoothly. with laptops, it is extra important to check whether the laptop has sufficient connections to connect the VR glasses. In some cases, for example, a laptop does not have a DisplayPort connection, so you need an extra adapter to be able to connect the glasses.
Can I also connect VR glasses to an Apple Mac PC?
In some cases this is possible, but in general we do not recommend this. The Mac does not have the proper connections and software to play Virtual Reality reliably.
Can Virtual Reality be played on any operating system?
No, for VR you need at least a Windows 10 operating system (OS). Also with MacOS it is not (properly) possible to play Virtual Reality on your PC.
Diederik Hermsen- XR Product Specialist
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