Many companies are bringing brand new technology into their products, and that is no secret. Similarly, the gaming industry is no different – in fact, it may just be the leader in technological innovation nowadays.
That being said, Nvidia has already announced Real-Time Ray Tracing and DLSS in their well known RTX-series graphics cards which means that users are able to take their gaming experience to the next level – even more so than before!
In other words, it appears that VR is changing the gaming industry more and more, pushing it to new horizons and doing so at a rapid pace.
Of course, gamers know all too well that, at this point, VR games are still quite limited in number but there is still enough on the market for extended exploration and besides, the number gets bigger every year, showing that there is genuine interest in developing this intriguing market of immersive gaming.
Whether you have experienced it before or not, you are probably already aware that VR is a technology able to take gamers into a 3-dimensional world where they can enjoy an experience like no other, offering simulated realism that is more immersive than all other forms of entertainment currently available out there.
Because of this, VR has enormous potential for the future and is already unlike anything ever seen in the past when it comes to the gaming industry.
But in order to run properly, VR needs high-end compatible hardware, which is why developers have been focusing on this matter, trying to improve the overall experience.
A good graphics card can already take care of most of the issues you may encounter when trying to play a VR game on your current system, which is why this article is here to provide you with all the tools you need when purchasing one.
There is even a list containing some of the best graphics cards for VR currently on the market, as well as links to where you can order them in seconds as soon as you decide on the best option for you.
Of course, since they are all mentioned in no particular order, before we get to explore this comprehensive list, it would be beneficial to first talk about some things you should keep in mind.
This way, you can rest assured that you will make an informed decision!
First of all, in order to even run, VR needs two different displays, one for each eye.
They have really low input lags and high refresh rates, which means you will need to get a high-end VR graphics card to make it all work for you.
More precisely, the minimum requirements for VR Gaming are a GTX 970 or an AMD r9 390 but you may also need an Intel Core i5 4th generation processor.
Fortunately, all the graphics cards mentioned on our list are VR compatible so that is one less thing to worry about.
Any of them are sure to allow you that immersive performance VR is so well known for.
Manufacturers have made sure these graphics cards are ready for VR gaming all the while being great value for their price.
You should know that the processor and graphics card are both essential and work together in harmony to offer you a powerful and smooth experience, being kind of like building blocks for it all.
VR games and even movies have been gaining more and more attention and spreading in popularity, leading to more people wanting to try them out.
But, as mentioned before, for a realistic experience, you will need high-end hardware.
For example, the Rx 590 is arguably the best graphics card for VR but at the same time, you may find that it’s a little outdated for some modern games.
As a result, Nvidia’s GTX 1660ti could be a better option for you.
Of course, if you really wish to invest in the best the current technology has to offer, it’s recommended you go for at least RTX 2060/Super or AMD Rx 5700.
Frequently asked questions:
What exactly are VR-ready graphics cards?
The market is oversaturated with thousands of graphics card models, all available and one click away.
However, only a very limited number can actually support VR gaming so be very careful when purchasing one for your system.
As already mentioned, VR needs high-end hardware, which means you have to go for a GTX 970 or AMD R9 390 graphics card in the least, in order to be able to run a VR game.
Can high end graphics cards improve your VR experience?
The answer to this question is quite simple and should be obvious at this point – yes.
Not only will it give you an advantage in VR gaming but it will also make everything feel more realistic since virtual reality technology demands high end hardware.
An important thing to know is that older devices do not support high refresh rates, which might not usually sound like the biggest problem but is actually quite a big issue as far as VR is concerned, being an essential part of virtual reality gaming.
Input lag can also negatively affect your overall gaming experience if your hardware does not support low latency.
Now that you know pretty much everything you need to know about choosing the right graphics card for virtual reality gaming, check out our list of the best ones on the market!
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- MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 2060
The first graphics card on our list benefits from a memory speed of 14 Gbps.
The maximum digital resolution you can enjoy using the MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 2060 is 7680×4320, which is really impressive!
It also features a video memory of 6GB GDDR6 and a memory interface of 192-bit.
The output comes from a DisplayPort x 3 (v1.4a) / HDMI 2.0b x 1.
The MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 2060 has a revolutionary design that is able to mix together real time ray tracing, any programmable shading and even artificial intelligence, allowing you to enjoy and even create games like never before.
If you want to experience lifelike, realistic reflections, shadows and lighting, ray tracing is the best solution out there, being able to offer gamers a level of realism that is way more impressive than what any other rendering techniques can currently offer users.
With that being said, NVIDIA Turing is the first GPU capable of ray tracing in real time.
GeForce RTX gaming GPUs also come loaded with next generation GDDR6 memory and they also have support for DirectX 12 features and much more.
Basically, this product represents the very reinvention of graphics so it’s definitely a great option you should consider trying out if anything else also suits your needs.
And, of course, it’s a great graphics card for VR as well!
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- ASUS ROG Strix NVIDIA GeForce
The ASUS ROG Strix NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti V2 OC has a buffed up design and impressive thermal performance you’ll be glad to experience.
The fan layout also features a brand new rotation system and specific roles for the central and auxiliary fans.
The boost clock reaches 1890 MHz in OC mode and 1860 MHz in gaming mode.
This GeForce RTX 3060 Ti graphics card is able to deliver an impressive 25 MH / s ETH hash rate.
A building block for a really fast and efficient GPU, this product provides twice the FP32 throughput in addition to improved power efficiency.
You will also get to experience twice the throughput of 1st gen RT Cores and concurrent RT and shading, taking ray tracing performance to the next level.
The 3rd Generation Tensor Cores means that users will even get up to twice the throughput with structural sparsity and advanced algorithms like DLSS.
Finally, since they now support resolutions up to 8K, you are sure to enjoy the huge game performance boost and the AI capabilities.
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- ZOTAC Gaming GeForce GTX 1660
The ZOTAC Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER benefits from new turning architecture and a really compact 6.83-inch card, fitting 99 percent of all systems.
More precisely, it is powered by the NVIDIA Turing architecture, providing really high performance to even the latest, most demanding games.
It has a dual slot, 4K resolution, HDR and is VR ready!
There are three display ports 1.4 and an HDMI 2.0b.
The boost clock can reach 1785 MHZ.
This is an essential GeForce graphics card companion that will help you capture and share things like screenshots, clips and even live streams.
You will get to have a smooth experience and high performance playing games from the very moment you press play.
Not only that but this product also benefits from a compact design, taking away any doubts about it fitting no matter your device.
But even though it’s so small, it’s still incredibly powerful.
The dual offset fan benefits from a compact design as well.
This graphics card will help you experience next-gen VR, plug and play compatibility with leading headsets and low latency.
It features 3X6mm copper heat pipes for maximum heat extraction.
In addition to that, there is also an wide array aluminum heatsink for maximum heat dissipation.
The curved and wide fan blades ensure airflow is improved and maximized.
- XFX RX-590P8DFD6 Radeon RX 590
The XFX RX 590 graphics card is everything you need if you are looking for the greatest and best currently available on the market for gamers.
More precisely, you will be able to stream, capture, share, optimize and even fine tune all your games with zero hassle.
This will take your gaming experience to the next level, allowing for fast and smooth, out of the box gaming thanks to the re; 2304 stream processors.
As you might be aware, true clock locks in a really fast optimal speed on the hardware level, RX Series cards with an OC+ rating is able to reach even farther than the XFX true clock and this has been tested by the manufacturers.
If you wish to try these speeds tested at the factory, it is recommended to use the AMD wattman utility, which will allow you to use every single bit of performance out of the card.
The overall computer performance can sometimes negatively affect software controlled clock speeds but in the case of the XFX true clock, the speed performance optimization is controlled by the hardware.
This way, your card will always run at an optimized performance level regardless of any other external influences.
With the Radeon RX 590 fat boy graphics card along with the leading VR headsets, you will be able to finally experience the brand new last-gen virtual reality that is more compelling and immersive than ever before.
Furthermore, the Radeon RX 590 fat boy graphics card along with AMD Liquid VR technology offers a perfect low latency experience.
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- MSI Gaming Radeon RX 6700 XT
The MSI Gaming Radeon RX 6700 XT benefits from a boost clock of 2424 MHz and 12GB GDDR6 video memory.
The memory interface reaches 192-bit.
As for the output, it works with DisplayPort x 3 (v1.4) / HDMI x 1.
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- Gigabyte GV-N207SWF3OC-8GD GeForce RTX 2070
Last but not least on our list, the Gigabyte GV-N207SWF3OC-8GD GeForce RTX 2070 offers Nvidia Turing architecture and real time Ray Tracing.
It also features a wind force 3x cooling system that works with alternate spinning fans.
The power requirement is quite low as well – 550 watts – which is another good thing, of course.
The controls are intuitive with AORUS engine and the core clock reaches 1785 MHertz.
Finally, it comes with 1 x HDMI, 3 x DisplayPort.