Nvidia's Trying to Make It Easier to Buy a VR-Ready PC

Nvidia unveiled a VR-ready program at CES today. It's supposed to help gamers by clarifying what they need to experience virtual reality.

The program intends to minimize confusion, making it much more clear what products will be able to handle virtual reality games. The graphics card company has partnered with PC and notebook makers in the hopes to deliver VR ready systems that "deliver an immersive virtual reality experience."

According to Nvidia, a great VR experience requires seven times the graphics processing power of traditional games--two simultaneous images running above 90 frames per second. Nvidia claims that less than one percent of all computers are capable of handling virtual reality. It's worth nothing that statistic includes all computers, even Chromebooks and machines that are used primarily for browsing the web.

General manager of emerging technologies Jason Paul said that navigating a new technology like virtual reality "can be daunting" for customers. He assures that Nvidia is working to "simplify the buying process" by utilizing a GeForce GTX VR Ready badge that will tell customers which cards are capable of virtual reality.

The first virtual reality headsets for consumers are set to release this year, as the Oculus Rift opens pre-orders on January 6. Oculus recommends at least an Nvidia GTX 970 or AMD 290 to use its headset. Oculus announced a program of its own last year, highlighting Oculus branded PCs that are ready for virtual reality.