We can finally say that virtual reality is an actual thing that’s totally happening. In fact, the big news out of Japan this week was that a VR company invented the world’s first-ever masturbation suit. Yup. That’s a thing now, too. And with the release of the long-awaited Oculus Rift, everyone is excited about all the possibilities.
But what is Oculus Rift? What are the Oculus Rift requirements you should be aware of? What kind of games can you play? Will it jerk you off? (Spoiler alert: No, it won’t jerk you off—yet.) Despite appearing as a simple headset, the Oculus Rift is actually a very beautiful, very complicated piece of tech. But fear not—here’s everything you need to know:
How Does the Oculus Rift Work?
Essentially, the Oculus Rift is a set of goggles that hooks up to your computer and plays real-time games and other media through two independent lenses, via HDMI (or an optional DVI adapter for newer graphics cards). The static cable is 10 feet long, so as to provide a sense of independence and freedom, while technically remaining “tethered” to the device.
Outside of the headset, there’s the “positional tracker,” which sits compactly and discreetly atop any tabletop, desk, or solid surface you might be playing in front of. The position tracker uses a series of infrared LEDs embedded in the headset in order to monitor a user’s movement.
What Kind of Computer Do I Need?
Well, with new technology comes new technological requirements, and suffice it to say, the Oculus Rift can’t run on a garbage setup (or any Mac, for that matter—no, really, it won’t run on your Apple computer). The minim CPU system requirements necessary for the Oculus Rift to operate are:
- NVIDIA GTX 970/AMD 290 equivalent or greater
- Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater
- 8GB+ of RAM
- Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output
- At least 2 USB 3.0 ports
- Windows 7 SP1 or newer.
So there it is. Not too difficult of a setup to acquire, but still something to take note of before you drop $600 for one of these bad boys—especially if you’re an Apple person. Oculus made the process as simple as possible by listing several compatible gaming-specific PCs that work excellently with the Oculus Rift.
What Can the Oculus Rift Do?
Critics are calling the Oculus Rift one of—if not the—most realistic virtual reality devices the world has ever seen. Users are almost completely immersed in new and exciting worlds, where you’ll fly, fight, race, shoot and run your way to triumph or certain peril—all without leaving the comfort of your home. It can revolutionize the way we learn, play, and experience the digital world.
What Can’t the Oculus Rift Do?
Well, let us clarify that even though this is a new and revolutionary product, it does have some unfortunate limitations (like not being compatible with Apple products). While it will work with many gaming PCs, it will not work seamlessly with your gaming systems. In fact, it won’t work at all with any of them, save for a very select few Xbox One titles (note the Xbox One controller that comes in the Oculus Rift packaging!). We couldn’t find an exact list, but rumored titles include Halo and Forza, and naturally, the two companies are working very hard to integrate the two technologies.
It also won’t teach you any valuable life skills, it won’t cook you dinner, and it won’t find you a girlfriend (but, as we said, it will somehow get you laid—go figure).
How Can I Find Games for the Oculus Rift?
What makes the release of the Oculus Rift such an accomplishment isn’t just the tech involved, or the sleek design, or the cool partnership with the team at Microsoft… Over 30 games went live on the day of the Oculus Rift’s release, all of which were developed specifically for the Rift platform. There are a list of titles available here, but if you’re looking for a more guided setup from the Oculus Rift community, we’d recommend starting with this Reddit thread, which appears to cover just about everything from the developer, to the price, to the direct link where you can purchase what you’re looking for.
