VR Gaming PC Reviews
VR gaming has become extremely popular since its inception. Enjoying the medium on PC, however, is not a reality for everyone, because there are base requirements that must be met for a smoother and immersive experience. Unfortunately, not everyone can meet these standards, which makes for a less enjoyable time in the virtual world.
Such requirements include metrics for the operating system, USB ports, video output, CPU, memory, and graphics card. As you choose your PC, you must make considerations for meeting all these needs. Note that you may also build a gaming PC if you can do so, since it gives you more granular choice over the components that are placed inside.
Our Top Recommendations
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme VR Gaming PC
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
- System: Intel Core i5-9400f 2. 9GHz 6-Core | Intel B360 Chipset | 8GB DDR4 | 120GB SSD | 1TB HDD | Genuine Windows 10 Home 64-bit
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6GB Video Card | 1x HDMI | 1x DisplayPort
- Connectivity: 6 x USB 3. 1 | 2 x USB 2. 0 | 1x RJ-45 Network Ethernet 10/100/1000
Skytech Archangel Gaming Computer PC
Overall Rating: 4/5
- AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core 12-Thread 3.6GHz (4.2 GHz Max Boost) CPU | 500GB SSD – Up to 30x faster than traditional HDD | B450 Motherboard
- GeForce GTX 1660 6GB GDDR5 Graphics Card (Brand May Varies) | 8GB DDR4 3000MHz Gaming Memory with Heat Spreaders | Windows 10 Home 64-bit | AMD High Performance Wraith Cooler
Why Do You Need an Appropriate Gaming PC?
Look at it this way. Every video game has requirements that must be met for it to be run smoothly or at all. If you want to look at console gaming, for example, a game, such as Marvel's Spider-Man, requires that you have at least a PlayStation 4. A PlayStation 4 pro or a PlayStation 5 may also be used, since they are more powerful, and the game is a Sony exclusive. However, trying to use a PC, any Xbox, a Nintendo console, or an earlier form of PlayStation cannot work.
Similarly, if you intend to run VR games, you must have an environment that is required for them. The video card must be able to render the graphics smoothly, for example. A subpar graphics card either means that you cannot run the game at all, or you are going to have to edit the graphics settings to turn off features such as v-sync, motion blur, anti-aliasing, etc., so that you can run a list polished version of the game.
What Features Should Your VR-ready Gaming PC Have?
Most VR options Have a similar list of supported hardware that you must have to run VR experiences smoothly.
First, there is the processor. Intel and AMD are the only makers of processors, so you need only know what the basic accepted processor is from both manufacturers. Your system must have at least an Intel i5-4590 or an AMD Ryzen 5 1500X processor.
As far as memory is concerned, there should be no less than 8GB of ram. Memory is needed to load and run the VR experiences that are currently being executed plus to keep other essential system processes running in the background.
Windows 10 is the only supported operating system, so if you are running Windows 7, 8, 8.1, etc., you need to investigate getting an upgrade.
It's best if your rig has at least three USB 3.0 ports and at least one USB 2.0 port. Having these means that you can plug in everything that is needed for your VR experience.
As far as video output goes, DisplayPort is King. Many experiences do support at least HDMI 1.3, but you cannot go wrong with the DisplayPort route.
Finally, there is your graphics card. NVIDIA or AMD typically manufactures these. VR headsets differ in supported graphics card hardware, so it's best to view the headset manufacturer's requirements before you make this choice. Take the Oculus quest, for example, which supports the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 and the AMD 400 series on the lowest end of the spectrum.
Though it supports a card, such as the GTX 970, it does not support the newer and more powerful NVIDIA Titan Z. Therefore, you cannot assume that a VR headset supports your card just because it supports earlier ones.