The best computers for the Oculus Rift VR headset
After so many years of promise, the world of virtual reality (VR) gaming hardware available to everyone, at least anyone with a decent credit limit, is upon us. Whether you followed the
Oculus Rift
since the launch of the
VR headset
on Kickstarter in 2012, or just entering the fold, there are plenty of radically new game worlds out there waiting for you to jump into them. PC. A poor VR experience is worse than no VR at all, as we'll explain.
VR gaming is very demanding, so a powerful
gaming desk
Where
portable
is required to run titles smoothly on the Oculus Rift
($717.10 on Amazon)
Pushing detail-rich graphics onto the headset's two high-resolution displays placed inches from your eyes is strenuous, and a basic laptop or productivity-focused desktop simply won't be able to keep up.
This hunger for graphics power is one of the biggest obstacles to the overall success of Rift and VR in general, as it potentially adds the cost of an expensive gaming PC (or at least the cost of relevant upgrades) to an already expensive headset. Note that much of what we discuss in this story also applies to the other great competing consumer VR headset, the
HTC Vive
($99.99 on Amazon)
, but this model has a slightly different set of requirements. And Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality headsets, which nominally resemble the Rift and HTC Vive, are a whole different ball game; more on those later.
Many enthusiasts see today's virtual reality as a glimpse into the future of gaming, so it's up to you to decide if the unique experience is worth the supporting hardware. At any given price, desktop PCs are generally more powerful and better equipped for VR than laptops. So if a desktop solution interests you, read on. If a mobile solution is more your speed, head over to
our guide to the best laptops for VR
.
What are the system requirements for the Oculus Rift?
Oculus provides a list of specs that tells you exactly what you need to at least free speech to run VR games on the headset, as well as a slightly different list of
suggested
specs to run it optimally. Your graphics card will be the key factor, but your CPU, memory, and inputs also play an important role.
If your current gear doesn't meet the requirements below, but you're willing to spend as much as you need for a fully configured desktop PC, fear not. The table at the top of this story displays the recent systems we have reviewed and which are best suited for running the Rift smoothly. However, there are a lot of details and nuances to go through, so some Rift-specific advice will go a long way.
So we'll describe each component in more detail by following Oculus' recommended and required chip specs, which are listed below. Sticking to the recommended specs is fine, but an even more powerful system will deliver the best frame rates. today and in the future.
Still not sure if your system will pass? Oculus offers a
free downloadable tool
which scans your computer and tells you if each component passes or fails. It's a simple way to determine if your current rig is ready or not. The program is small and only takes a few seconds to assess your hardware.
Get ready for virtual reality on (almost) any budget
As we noted, even with VR-enabled systems, desktops are generally more economical than gaming laptops. While the more expensive desktops, loaded with two
GeForce GTX 1080
($549.00 at NVIDIA)
graphics cards, fancy processors and tons of RAM - will drive the Oculus Rift the best, a system with a single video card can certainly cut it, and you can get a VR-ready desktop for around $1,000.
These will generally be simple and relatively compact towers, but don't underestimate their functionality. They probably include a
GeForce GTX 1060
($652.04 on Amazon)
graphics card, 8GB or 16GB of memory and a more than capable processor. Not only will this make a decent machine for general use, but you might notice that it meets or exceeds the suggested specs for VR.
You could easily spend $2,000 or more on a really powerful, VR-ready desktop computer. (Some crazy
showcase built
can land between $5,000 and $10,000.) But achieving what you need specifically for VR can be much cheaper. You can always build your own rig to save some money, if you have the technical know-how, but the big manufacturers offer a range of affordable pre-built systems that will check all the boxes. Remember you'll need a monitor and maybe some speakers to go with it. won't use them when you're in your VR world, but for everything else.)
Main consideration? The graphics card
The biggest component that will make or break your system for VR is the video card, so it's a good place to start, and to allocate the most budget if you're short. Unlike most desktops and non-gaming laptops, which only use the relatively weak graphics silicon built into the processor, the mainstream desktops you choose for your VR rig should include a discrete video card. simple inclusion of a discrete card from the start, but not all cards are powerful enough to drive VR. As you can see above, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or a
AMD Radeon RX480
($410.00 on Amazon)
are the recommended minimum cards for smooth VR gameplay.
On the Nvidia side of the fence, above these cards are the
GeForce GTX 1070
,
GTX 1070 Ti
, GeForce GTX 1080 and
GTX 1080 Ti
, as well as the company's elite Titan cards.
On the AMD side, upwards from the Radeon RX 480 you have the
Radeon RX580
(the RX 480 is technically a last generation card), as well as the newer and higher end
Radeon RX Vega 56
and
RX Vega 64
All of these cards exceed Rift's recommended models, but you'll rarely see Vegas in prebuilt desktops.
While not every card you'll see in a pre-built PC is VR-ready, the GeForce GTX 1060, as Nvidia's middle-of-the-road option, can be found in many budget-oriented desktop PCs. you are really looking to save, a
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Where
Radeon RX470
will do the job. You might not get the same performance as a GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 480, which is a deal breaker for some, but they can help you hit rock bottom. virtual reality for less money.
Beyond its VR capabilities, the GeForce GTX 1060 is a popular card for a reason: it's well-suited to general non-VR gaming with many modern AAA titles running at 60 frames per second (fps) at
1080p
.However, while 60fps is the target for non-VR gaming, frame rates are handled a bit differently with a VR headset, which is designed to display at 90fps per eye for maximum effect and graphics fluids.
Also note: to prevent motion sickness,
supported
the frame rate is also 90fps. Frame rates that fall below this mark can be, quite literally, sickening to some users. So while frame rate targets don't translate not exactly compared to standard gaming, you will need to pay close attention to the headset manufacturers minimum specs. The consequences of low frame rate with VR can be more severe than with regular gaming on a monitor. This can make you sick!
With that in mind, even with a GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 480, you might see dropped frames at maximum settings in VR. This issue is particularly noticeable and irritating in VR, where the display is right on your face and all encompassing your field of vision, potentially causing nausea, as opposed to a screen a few feet away. Going up the
Graphic card
Upgrading to a GTX 1070 or GTX 1080 will help you run games smoothly at higher settings, which can make the difference in whether or not it makes you sick or prone to it. These high-end cards will allow you to hit ideal frame rates more consistently, but you'll have to weigh them against the added price. Of course, you'll also see their benefit in non-VR games, so there's that added benefit, especially if you want to play outside of VR on a high refresh rate 1080p monitor, or a 1440p or 4K display. (For even more details, see
our guide to the best graphics cards for VR
.)
Processor, memory and ports
Beyond the graphics card, the core component hardware requirements for VR are a little easier to achieve.
CPU
goes, even at the level recommended by Oculus, all you need is at least an Intel Core i5-4590 (it's "Haswell" or fourth generation Core, an older generation of chips now) or an AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
($220.00 on Amazon)
or better.
These suggestions aren't high bars to hit, especially on the Intel side. Newer computers come with the latest eighth-generation Intel "Coffee Lake" processors, which are much faster than the recommended and required processors. Any Core i5 or i7 of this generation or the previous generation ("Kaby Lake") will do.
Whether you opt for a Core i5 or a Core i7 (the latter better for more intensive processing tasks and not a prerequisite for VR gaming), both are fast and efficient in eighth-gen form. Using only an eighth generation Core i3 desktop CPU (not as common in your average desktop build) you'll hit the bare minimum for VR, but don't expect such speedy performance in everyday use.
The 8 GB of memory required is both adequate for VR and useful for general computing. For most experiments, this amount won't slow you down, although it's largely true that the more RAM you have, the better.We would definitely not advise
versus
16GB, however, if you can fit it into your budget, your system will be faster overall and games in particular will benefit. If you're looking to push demanding games on high or max settings, consider loading 16GB or more instead of the 8GB minimum. RAM prices these days, however, may mean you have to compromise between a better video card and that extra 8GB. For a VR PC, we'd opt for the best graphics.
The Rift, frankly speaking, consumes a lot of ports. However, you'll need to check the right ports much more carefully on a VR-enabled laptop; most desktops should have what you need. Have enough easily accessible outlets to plug in all of your headset connectors is the main concern here, and knowing which type of port you'll need requires checking the fine print.
The Rift needs one HDMI 1.3 port and three USB ports (ideally two USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port). offers a handful of USB ports to cover your bases, and any current-gen video card we mentioned above should offer you HDMI 1.3. output you need.
Is Windows Mixed Reality worth a look?
While the requirements above refer specifically to Rift (and largely apply to HTC Vive), another group of options has a different set of requirements: Windows Mixed Reality headsets. partner manufacturers to launch a series of these cheaper PC headsets, including the
HP VR1000-100
and
Acer AH101-D8EY
.
They're built from the Microsoft Hololens platform, but they don't
really
offer plenty of augmented reality, and the Windows ecosystem is still pretty barren compared to the Steam and Oculus offerings. They can run other software, but they do so less effectively than the main two headsets, both in terms of hardware and performance. They are an alternative if you want to save money or have specific use cases for the Windows platform, but without significant additions or improvements, we
strongly
recommend the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive if gaming is your primary focus.
other considerations
Outside of the key areas we've already covered, there are a few more to think about. As mentioned, of course you'll need to bring a monitor, even if you're primarily interested in VR. You'll need to set up your system and install the right VR software and games, but any display will do. That said, if you also want to watch Netflix or play non-VR games on this screen, you should budget for a better monitor. Budget between $200 and $300 for a nice HD (1080p) or QHD (1440p) screen, depending on the size you want.(
Check out our guide to the best gaming monitors
.)
You'll also need somewhere to store all that software, but your options are very flexible. Even a regular 500GB hard drive is
fine
for work, and not too expensive. Many mainstream desktop PCs now include a 1TB hard drive as standard, often paired with a solid-state quick boot drive for Windows and a few key applications. Games have gotten quite large - some reach 50GB or more - so you'll need to take that into account if you're considering a large library. you need, but be aware that adding SSD capacity will be a more expensive proposition.