The Oculus Rift is rapidly approaching its early 2016 launch date, and Oculus has released the recommended hardware specifications needed to run the VR headset properly. Quite a bit of graphical power is listed here, although there is still time to save money and upgrade your computers.
The recommended system for the full Rift experience is:
- NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD R9 290 equivalent or greater
- Intel Core i5-4590 equivalent or greater
- 8GB+ RAM
- Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output
- 2x USB 3.0 ports
- Windows 7 SP1 or newer
As far as a basic system goes, that isn’t too bad. Most computers these days can easily meet the Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB RAM. However, that NVIDIA GTX 970/AMD 290 requirement will make users think twice about picking up the Oculus Rift. A GTX 970 runs for around RM1500+, with the AMD R9 290 going for a little cheaper. That is still more than RM1000 on a new GPU, without even considering the price of the Oculus Rift itself.
Another interesting requirement of note is Windows 7 SP1, which excludes both Linux and Mac OS from the initial release of the Oculus Rift. While the current developer kits do work on Linux and Macs, Oculus is pushing back the development on non-Windows platforms for now. The company says that it would love to continue development for Linux and Mac, but does not have timeline at the moment.
The Oculus Rift is already surrendering its early lead in the VR headset to other manufacturers like HTC’s Vive (which was built with help from Valve). Oculus has also been diverting resources to develop the Samsung Gear VR headset, which is meant to work with Samsung mobile devices instead of computers. Both the Vive and Gear VR are expected to be available before the Oculus Rift.
Despite this, Oculus looks to be working on getting the Rift right on the first try. With the extended beta period and number of developer kits going around, it looks like the company might be on track for that.
[Source: Oculus, via Ars Technica]
