CyberPowerPC has introduced a new entry-level virtual reality-ready pre-built PC with AMD’s Radeon RX 470 on board for $499 at Best Buy and Amazon. That’s a new low for an off-the-shelf VR-capable configuration, and it’s also available as a bundle with Oculus Rift for $1,099.98 — or exactly what you’d pay if you purchased the two separately.
Even if there’s no price break for the combo, this gets us closer to a ready-to-roll VR rig and top-tier VR headset that will cost you under $1K, all-in. The processor in the machine is an AMD FX 4350 quad-core, and the Radeon RX 470 has 4GB of dedicated GDDR5 RAM for pushing the pixels in those VR experiences. There’s also 8GB of RAM for the system, and a 1 TB spinning platter hard drive to store your stuff, which should be ample room for a variety of titles.
I’ve been a using a CyberPowerPC with slightly higher specs to run both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, and it’s had no problem with any titles I’ve thrown at it thus far, so it’s likely this will feed the VR gaming needs of most users new to the medium. You’re still able to get into VR more affordably with PS4, which will cost $349 for the console, plus $399 for the headset, but Oculus and a PC will provide a better quality experience in terms of graphics quality for demanding users.
If you’re looking for a VR setup, the new bundle is now on sale at Best Buy. IMO you still need the Touch controllers from Oculus to make this a really great setup, but that’s going to cost you an additional $199. Still, we’re slowly getting to the point where you might be able to term a VR setup “affordable” — at least in the narrow sense of an upper-middle class customer. Baby steps.