Beginning any tech-based career can be really intimidating, especially if you aren’t familiar with hardware components. To get the best out of your hardware and to be sure you make the right investments, it’s important you buy the right parts.
When I finally saved up enough for my desktop, I wanted to buy something that would last me for the next few years – which is why the specifications I have are better than the recommended specifications.
Here are the best specifications for virtual reality development.
| Best | What I Have | |
| CPU | Intel Core 17 (4 Cores) | Intel Core i9 (20 Cores) |
| Graphics Card | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti |
| Storage | 512GB SSD | 2 x 480GB SSD |
| RAM | 16GB RAM | 32GB RAM |
| Power Supply | 550W Power Supply | 850W Power Supply |
| Display | 1920 x 1080 Monitor | Dell 24” Full HD Monitor |
| Keyboard & Mouse | Any | Gamdias Ares Essential 2 IN 1 Gaming Combo |
The specs for just a VR gaming PC will be a lot lower, since it does not have to deal with all the processing power it takes to 3D model, render, bake or implement any game engine.
What To Look for in a Desktop for VR Development
Graphics Card
Your graphics card will be a really important component in allowing your VR environment to render in real-time. We recommend you have a dedicated GPU with at least 8GB VRAM. We recommend the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super, AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, or equivalent.
CPU (Processor)
When it comes to modeling your environment, you need a desktop that has a superior clock speed. A CPU that can handle a higher clock will over-all perform better and consume a lot more power. We recommend a minimum clock speed of 3.5GHz.
The CPU is used for pretty much everything you do on a computer, so the better the CPU, the better your software will operate. When rendering an image, you can choose to either use your CPU or GPU (not recommended if you have a weak graphics card). Generally, the better your CPU, the faster an image will render. And when it comes to VR, you need your laptop to render very quickly in real-time.
With CPU rendering, your machine will be able to disperse the rendering workload across multiple cores – so the more cores the better.
SSD
Always pick an SSD when it comes to any type of development. Solid State Drives perform way better than HDD. We will recommend you go for at least 512GB storage – and an extra external hard drive for back-up.
Memory (RAM)
Game development will consume a lot of RAM, especially if you’re working cross-platform and will find yourself with Photoshop, Illustrator, Blender, and Unity all open up at the same time. We recommend you get a laptop with at least 16GB of RAM.
Ports
To avoid buying additional adaptors, make sure your desktop has USB 3.0 port and one HDMI. Some desktops have Display ports instead of HDMI, which is more than okay, but keep in mind you will need to buy an additional adaptor if this is the case.
How Do I Know if My PC is VR Ready?
It’s important to note that ‘VR Ready’ does not necessarily mean a ‘VR Development Ready’, because making a VR game is very different to just playing one. So please do not fall for seller’s labels that state a desktop is ‘VR Ready’, because what they are selling you might not be what you need for development.
You will know that your PC is VR Development Ready if it has specifications similar to or higher than the specifications outlined in this article.
