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With a growing number of affordable next-gen PC-compatible headsets like Quest 2 and HP Reverb G2, there’s more reason than ever to finally jump into VR. For the gamers out there who are beginning to consider purchasing a PC VR headset, one major question marks the starting point on their journey to a decision: can my PC handle it? Here’s how to find out.
VR gaming is much more resource intensive than monitor gaming. In short, that’s because the render resolution is much higher than the 1080p displays used by most PC users today. Not to mention, VR games must also be rendered in 3D and anywhere from 72 to 144 FPS depending on the headset.
Before we dive in, you’ll want to know a few things about your computer. First and foremost, PC VR headsets are not supported by MacOS . Next up, you’ll need to know your PC’s specs. Expand the section below if you don’t already know where to find that info.
Video Card CPU RAM Video Output
Press the Start button and type ‘device manager’, select it from the list In Device Manager, expand Display Adapters, your video card is listed beneath
Press the Start button and type ‘about your PC’, select it from the list In the About window, scroll down to find ‘Processor’ (also known as CPU) and ‘Installed RAM’
For this you’ll need to look at the back of your computer and see which ports are available on the back, specifically on your GPU (which is usually lower):
The ports can look very similar, so look closely at the shapes of each. Remember that you will need a free port to plug your headset into.
Many headset makers provide what they call a ‘recommended’ hardware configuration for virtual reality gaming. This gives VR developers a baseline hardware target so that they can ensure the consistent FPS requirement is met. If your hardware does not meet the recommended specification, you risk dropping under framerate which can result in a choppy and potentially uncomfortable VR experience.
The recommended specs provided by each company are relatively similar but there are some key differences worth looking at in detail:
Meta
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or greaterCPU: Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or greaterMemory: 8GB RAM or greaterVideo Output: DisplayPortUSB Ports: 1x USB 3.0 portOS: Windows 10
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or greaterCPU: Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or greaterMemory: 8GB RAM or greaterVideo Output: Compatible HDMI 1.3 video outputUSB Ports: 3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 portOS: Windows 10 (Windows 7/8.1 no longer recommended)
Meta Quest & Quest 2 can also play PC VR games via Oculus Link. See this article for the most up to date info on Meta Quest recommended specs and supported graphics cards .
Valve
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1070 / AMD equivalent or greaterCPU: Quad Core+Memory: 8GB RAMVideo Output: DisplayPort 1.2USB Ports: 1x USB 2.0 port (USB 3.0 required for camera passthrough), 1x DisplayPort v1.2OS: Windows 10, SteamOS, Linux
Check your PC: You can automatically check that you meet these specifications with the ‘Are you ready for Valve Index’ app on Steam.
HTC
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon Vega 56 or greaterCPU: Intel Core i5-4590/AMD FX 8350 equivalent or greaterMemory: 8GB RAMVideo Output: DisplayPort 1.2USB Ports: 1x USB 3.0 portOS: Windows 10
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon Vega 56 or greaterCPU: Intel Core i5-4590/AMD FX 8350 equivalent or greaterMemory: 8GB RAMVideo Output: DisplayPort 1.2USB Ports: 1x USB 3.0 portOS: Windows 10
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1060 / Quadro P5000 / AMD Radeon Vega 56 or greaterCPU: Intel Core i5-4590 / AMD FX 8350 equivalent or greaterMemory: 8GB RAMVideo Output: DisplayPort 1.2 or newerUSB Ports: 1x USB 3.0 port or newerOS: Windows 10
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or greaterCPU: Intel Core i5-4590 / AMD FX 8350 or greaterMemory: 8GB RAM or moreVideo Output: HDMI 1.4 / DisplayPort 1.2USB Ports: 1x USB 2.0 portWired Streaming : 1x USB Type-C 3.0 cable (5 Gbps)Wireless Streaming (routers) : Wi-Fi 802.11ac or Wi-Fi 802.11ax (5GHz)OS: Windows 10
WMR & HP
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 470/570 or greaterCPU: Intel Core i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1400 or greaterMemory: 8GBVideo Output: HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 (may vary based on specific headset)USB Port: 1x USB 3.0OS: Windows 10 (Note: Not supported on N versions or Windows 10 Pro in S Mode)Bluetooth Some headsets require Bluetooth 4.0 for controller connectivity
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 1080 / AMD RX 5700 or greaterCPU: Intel Core i5, i7 / AMD Ryzen 5 or greaterMemory: 8GBVideo Output: DisplayPort 1.3USB Port: 1x USB 3.0OS: Windows 10 (may require latest updates)
Pimax