Nvidia announces ‘VR Ready’ program for new PCs and GPUs

We have officially entered 2016, which is set to be the biggest year for virtual reality yet. With the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive just on the horizon, Nvidia has implemented a new ‘VR Ready' program, which will help those looking to get a new rig ensure that it is capable of pushing the frame rates required for a smooth virtual reality experience.

The scheme is a little similar to Nvidia's 4K Battlebox program, which saw the company work with PC and notebook makers in order to approve systems capable of providing the best experience. According to Nvidia, driving VR requires seven times the graphics processing power of traditional games, this is largely down to the fact that you need to be driving frame rates above 90 frames per second for two images (one per eye).

Jason Paul, GM of emerging technologies at Nvidia explained that “for customers, navigating an emerging technology like VR can be daunting. We're working with trusted partners worldwide to simplify the buying process with a GeForce GTX VR Ready badge that will let customers quickly identify PCs or add-in cards that are capable of handling the demands of VR.”

This way, those looking to buy a pre-built system for virtual reality gaming will know if it is up to the task beforehand. Additionally, it sounds like those looking to build their own rig will be able to look for ‘VR Ready' GPUs, which will include the GTX 970 and above.

KitGuru Says: 2016 is going to be very exciting for virtual reality enthusiasts. Are any of you planning on picking up a VR headset this year? Will you be getting a new rig or upgrading your GPU for the occasion? 

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