Oculus Rift Requirements: Your Ultimate Guide

As our world keeps evolving, so does technology. Hundreds of years ago, people had absolutely no concept of virtual reality, nor did they have the slightest idea of what the phrase even means. Now, virtual reality is a revolution that will only seek to enhance a user's experience and take him or her to greater distances and heights. If you are thinking of joining in on the virtual reality revolution and purchasing an Oculus Rift headset device, it's a good idea to know the Oculus Rift requirements and whether your device can support the hardware and software.

Before you can see if your computer meets the standard requirements or needs an upgrade for the Oculus Rift, it's best to introduce Oculus Rift to you if you are a newcomer and wish to know more about the virtual reality device.

To put the concept in simple terms, the Oculus Rift is a pair of giant goggles that allows wearers to see a 3D world around them, thus making them feel like they are present within that world. But now you are probably wondering how it all works. The Oculus Rift has two screens that are side by side which display two images, one for each eye. On top of the panels, there are lenses that refocus and reshape the image for each eye, thus creating a stereoscopic 3D image. Adding to that, the headset has sensors that monitor the wearer's head motions and adjust the image accordingly.

The Oculus Rift headset is just part of the entire mechanism. Aside from the headset, there are also sensors that are placed away from you. The purpose of the sensors is to capture your body's movement so that the signal can be sent to the headset. If you move in reality, so does your character in the 3D world. However, it's not that simple, because the headset device also comes with a controller and a remote that allows you to navigate within the game or the Oculus Rift system.

You are also probably wondering why the term "augmented reality" hasn't been mentioned. The Oculus Rift mainly deals with virtual reality rather than augmented reality. So, what is the difference between the two? Augmented reality's concept involves superimposing graphics over a view of the actual world, similar to a smartphone's camera. Because the Oculus Rift does not have a camera that allows its wearers to see outside of the headset, the Oculus Rift cannot perform the functions of augmented reality.

With the basic idea and concept of the Oculus Rift within your mind, let's find out if your computer can meet the standard Oculus Rift requirements or if you need a possible upgrade.

The Oculus Rift is a somewhat demanding hardware device. And it is not just the hardware you have to keep in mind. In order for you to use the Oculus Rift, you also have to download a software program and configure it with the headset.

The first step to see if you can use the Oculus Rift is to know if your computer meets the Oculus Rift requirements. So, what kind of computer do you need for the Oculus Rift? To put it simply, you need a powerful computer. Your average computer will not be able to keep up with the Oculus Rift's demands and will either be too weak or create problems during the entire installation and process of hooking it up.

As a general concept, the more expensive the computer is, the better the chances, it has of running the Oculus Rift headset device. Expensive computers' graphics cards, processors, and RAMs are far more powerful than average computers, meaning they will have no issues running the Oculus Rift. If your computer is outdated, or you know for a fact that it won't be able to run the Oculus Rift, here are some examples of computers that will get the job done. Keep in mind that they are pricey, and if you need to buy one, you'll have to pay for it along with the Oculus Rift, thus bumping up the overall cost. 

Origin Neuron And Specs

For the price of $964, the Origin Neuron is an excellent choice if you wish to use it for the Oculus Rift. 

Dell Inspiron Gaming Desktop (5680) And Specs

If you are seeking to spend less than $$$ and find a computer that might meet your budget requirements, the Dell Inspiron Gaming Desktop (5680) could be the computer for you. The lowest price for such a computer is $$.

Origin PC Chronos (2017) And Specs

If you have the money to afford a powerful gaming computer that offers a great experience, gets the job done with ease, and can easily support the Oculus Rift, the Origin PC Chronos (2017) is the perfect choice. The lowest price for the computer is $$$.

It's very important to note that before you spend money on a whole new computer, it's possible for you to check on your current computer. If you go to the main Oculus Rift page, you will be able to download a compatibility tool that scans your computer and then lets you know if it meets all the Oculus Rift requirements. If not a single requirement is met, you might as well invest in a more powerful computer. However, if your computer doesn't meet one or two of the requirements (like a graphics card), you can just go out and purchase what is necessary without buying a new computer.

Previously, we have talked about the overall computer and what kind is needed to properly run the Oculus Rift without any problems. Next, we will talk about the internal specifications and the standard requirements for them. As such, the section will be split up into two parts: minimum specifications and recommended specifications.

Minimum Specifications

Recommended Specifications

As you can already tell after comparing the specifications to those from the list of minimum specifications, everything except for the graphics card and processor is the same. Just like with any other gaming computer, the graphics card and the processor are arguably the two most important features. The better they are, the better the overall gaming experience becomes (smoothness, frames per second, and so on).

Please keep in mind that these are the recommended specifications, and if your budget doesn't meet these specifications, try to opt for the minimum ones instead. Either way, they both meet the Oculus Rift requirements but will perform on different levels.  

Although the Oculus Rift offers a whole new experience when it comes to gaming, the device is demanding regarding hardware and the user's computer. If every single computer could meet the Oculus Rift requirements, then from a business and technological standpoint, the Oculus Rift wouldn't be worth as much as it is.

Now that you have fully familiarized yourself with the Oculus Rift and what it can do, it probably comes as no surprise why it's so demanding. If you are a budget gamer who really wants to experience virtual reality, it's best to make sure that your computer meets all specifications. But if you are a serious gamer with serious hardware, you shouldn't have any problems. Ultimately, the next time you contemplate the idea of getting the Oculus Rift, make sure that your hardware meets all the Oculus Rift requirements and then you won't have any problems during the installation process or during future gaming experiences.