Dipping your toes into VR can be an expensive hobby to explore. The cost of the headset alone will definitely put a dent in your wallet. Maybe you’re lucky enough to have been gifted a headset for Christmas and don’t yet have a PC to hook it up to. Or perhaps you’re a Meta Quest 2 user who has exhausted the Oculus Store and wants to see what PCVR is all about.
Whatever category you fall under or your reasons, it is possible to pick up a VR-ready PC without breaking the bank or re-mortgaging your Granny’s house! So let’s dive in together and find the best budget PC currently on the market to help you explore some of the very best PC VR experiences.
Minimum Specifications for PC VR
Depending on the particular VR headset and software being used, the minimum system requirements for PCVR (Virtual Reality on PC) can change, but generally speaking, the following minimum system requirements are recommended:
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-4590 / AMD FX 8350 or better
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD Radeon R9 290 or better
RAM: 8GB or more
Video Output: HDMI 1.3 or DisplayPort 1.2 or newer
USB Ports: 1 USB 3.0 port
Hard Drive Space: 20GB or more
It’s crucial to remember that these minimal requirements should only be used as a general guideline, and some VR applications may require more powerful hardware to function properly. It’s also crucial to confirm the precise system requirements for the VR software and headset you intend to use, as they may differ.
Second Hand Used PCs
Of course, buying a used or refurbished PC online is a viable option and may save you some cash as well. For the sake of our guide though, we’ll stick to current offers for new PCs online to cut down on the sheer volume of PCs out there. If you do choose to go second-hand, then be smart and read up on the seller, reviews and selling history go a long way to making an informed decision. Use a secure payment option too like PayPal where available as they offer some buyer protection in case anything does go wrong with your purchase. Lastly, follow the specifications above as a jumping-off point and tailor your second-hand purchase to your own requirements. Buying a little above to recommended hardware specs is advisable to future-proof your purchase for a number of years.
So if you want to buy a used or refurbished PC, then go for it! Stick to our advice and pick out a gem that matches your budget. If you’d rather buy a new PC but don’t want to wait for a lottery win … keep on reading.
ViprTech.com Ultimate Gaming PC Desktop Computer
Photo from https://viprtech.com/
Starting with a mid-range PC at a very reasonable price from Walmart. This PC tower has enough power to run most VR experiences while also being a half-decent flatscreen gaming PC to boot. Retailing for below $600 makes it great value for money and the specs under the hood are above the minimums so you can tinker with the settings on your favorite games to maximize the VR immersion.
The ‘Ultimate Gaming PC Desktop Computer’ sports an NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB that’s capable of supporting VR, 1TB of storage for all of your games & applications, and a gorgeous bells and whistle flashy case that’s the perfect centerpiece for any setup if you don’t like being modest.
Under the hood here is the full list of specifications:
CPU: Intel i5-4570 Processor
RAM: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB
Storage: 1TB 7200RPM HDD
OS: Windows 10 Pro
Case: ViprTech X3 Black
Motherboard: LGA1150 Board
Cooling: Intel Copper Cooler
PSU: 550 Watt
Wi-Fi adapter
All Walmart PCs come with warranty options and also repayment plan options so there is plenty of flexibility if you choose to go with this option.
You can check out the full range of ViprTech PC products on their official website here.
CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR Gaming PC
Photo from https://www.amazon.com/
Stepping up a little in price now but also jumping up a bit on specifications, this tower PC is still amazing value for a VR-ready gaming PC. The CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR is VR-ready and has been tuned for gaming. The computer has the raw power required to perform at a high level thanks to the Intel CPU and High-Performance GPU. Also, the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR has all the capacity required to solely focus on gaming thanks to its fast memory and sizable hard drive. Currently retailing on Amazon for $999 it’s certainly a lot of money to shell out but you do get a very decent package for this price which shouldn’t be sniffed at.
The full list of specifications is below:
Standing screen display size 0.1
Processor 2.9 GHz core_i5
RAM 8 GB DDR4
Memory Speed 3000 MHz
Hard Drive 500 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor Nvidia Ge Force Gtx 1660 Super
Chipset Brand NVIDIA
Card Description GeForce GTX 1660 Super
Graphics Card Ram Size 6 GB
Wireless Type 802.11ac
Number of USB 2.0 Ports 2
Number of USB 3.0 Ports 6
Brand CyberpowerPC
Series Gamer Xtreme VR
Item model number GXiVR8060A10
Hardware Platform PC
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Item Weight 30 pounds
Product Dimensions 18.8 x 8.2 x 18.6 inches
Processor Brand Intel
Number of Processors 6
Computer Memory Type DDR4 SDRAM
Flash Memory Size 500
Hard Drive Interface Solid State
Hard Drive Rotational Speed 1
If you like what you see and perhaps want to learn more, check out their listing on Amazon here.
Lenovo – Legion Tower 5 AMD Gaming Desktop
Photo from https://www.lenovo.com/
Still keeping below a cool 1,000 in price and offering you plenty of horsepower for your efforts, the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 is a brilliant choice for VR gaming. Currently selling for $899.99 at Best Buy, the Lenovo is a great purchase for plenty of high-performance VR experiences. Amazing performance is provided by the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 AMD, which combines AMD Ryzen processors with the best NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards for lightning-fast frame rates at up to 4K resolution. The Legion Tower 5 is a wonder of build and design, accented by its lit blue LED logo and lights as well as a transparent side panel that can properly expose your internals. It pushes well beyond the upper bounds of smaller rig configurations while keeping things quiet and cool. Perfect for your VR gaming.
The full specifications are as follows:
Processor Model AMD Ryzen 7 6000 Series
Processor Model Number 5800
Processor Speed (up to) 3.4 gigahertz
Storage Type SSD, HDD
Total Storage Capacity 1256 gigabytes
Solid State Drive Capacity 256 gigabytes
Hard Drive Capacity 1000 gigabytes
System Memory (RAM) 16 gigabytes
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
Operating System Windows 11 Home
Product Name Legion Tower 5 AMD Gaming Desktop – AMD Ryzen 7-5800 – 16GB
Memory NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 – 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD
Brand Lenovo
Model Number 90RB002AUS
Year of Release 2020
Color Raven Black
Color Category Black
Processor Brand AMD
Processor Model AMD Ryzen 7 6000 Series
Processor Model Number 5800
Processor Cores 8-core
Processor Speed (up to) 3.4 gigahertz
Storage Type SSD, HDD
Total Storage Capacity 1256 gigabytes
Solid State Drive Capacity 256 gigabytes
Hard Drive Capacity 1000 gigabytes
Solid State Drive Interface NVMe
Hard Drive Interface SATA
Hard Drive RPM 7200 revolutions per minute
Product Height 16.18 inches
Product Width 8.07 inches
Product Depth 15.59 inches
Product Weight 30.8644 pounds
The Lenovo is the perfect balance of quality, performance, and price. Like most Lenovo towers is also easily upgradeable so you can invest more in upgrades further down the line to keep up with the ever-changing hardware on the market. For $899.99 this is an absolute steal if you can afford it.
If you want to learn more about the Lenovo range and see what else they have to offer, why not check out their official website here?
SkyTech Blaze II Gaming Computer PC Desktop
Photo from https://www.amazon.com/
Stepping up to just under $1,200 the SkyTech Blaze II has plenty of power under the hood to meet your virtual reality needs. This entry to mid-level gaming PC offers premium features like brilliant multi-color RGB lighting and tempered glass panels together with the excellent performance you require. Blaze II is one of the most affordable PCs for gamers searching for their first PC. It is expertly constructed utilizing premium components that are (future upgradeable) and come with a one-year warranty.
Not as powerful as some of the PCs we have on our list but it does come with an NvIdia graphics card which benefits from Nvidia’s new Turing GPU architecture. This means it’s able to render more complex scenes without needing more power. Explosions feature more debris, and asteroid fields become more detailed and gaze further into the horizon of open-world games.
The full specifications for the SkyTech Blaze II are as follows:
Standing screen display size 1
Processor 3.6 GHz ryzen_5_3600
RAM 16 GB DDR4
Hard Drive 500 GB SSD
Graphics Coprocessor GeForce GTX 1660 Super 6G GDDR6
Chipset Brand NVIDIA
Card Description Dedicated
Graphics Card Ram Size 6 GB
Wireless Type 802.11ac
Number of USB 2.0 Ports 1
Number of USB 3.0 Ports 1
Brand Skytech Gaming
Series Blaze II
Item model number ST-BLAZEII-0167
Hardware Platform PC
Operating System Windows 10
Item Weight 22.4 pounds
Package Dimensions 26 x 24 x 14 inches
Color Black
Processor Brand AMD
Number of Processors 6
Computer Memory Type DDR4 SDRAM
Flash Memory Size 16 GB
Hard Drive Interface PCIE x 4
Hard Drive Rotational Speed 7200
The SkyTech Blaze II offers a good balance of quality and value. AMD Ryzen tech coupled with a decent Nvidia graphics card leads to a powerful mid-tier PC for flat-screen gaming and VR experiences alike. To view more check it out here
IPASON – Gaming Desktop
Photo from https://www.newegg.com/
If your budget is below $1,00 then you should probably take a look at Ipason and their range of Pc which are affordable and tailored to your needs. Currently, on Newegg, their bestseller is going for $505 which is an absolute steal. The graphics card is a little bit weak but it will get the job done and run your VR games (maybe not at the highest settings). You can pay a little more and swap out the graphics card for a beefier RTX but the price will rise significantly so be mindful of your budget going in before ticking all the boxes. The GPU is based on the Vega architecture (5th generation GCN) and has 7 CUs (= 448 shaders) clocked at up to 1,800 MHz. The Vega architecture offers some improvements over the Polaris generation and now supports DirectX 12 Feature Level 12_1.
Other features include :
CPU: Ryzen 5 5600G 3.9GHz (4.4GHz Turbo) 6-Core 12-Thread
GPU: AMD Radeon Vega Graphics
RAM: 16GB (8GB*2) DDR4 3200MHz
SSD: 500GB M.2 SSD
CPU Cooler: air cooling
Case fan: 12cm RGB FANS
PSU: 500W
WiFi: Yes
Peripheral: Contact customer service to get a free gift.
Recommended reason: A very cost-effective gaming experience. Powered with Ryzen 5 new 5600G, high-speed SSD, dual-channel 16GB memory. You are saving a lot of money on graphics cards but can choose to higher the specs before checkout for an extra cost. It’s an entry-level PC but a decent choice for a premium gaming PC. Serviceable too for VR gaming.
If you’re interested, why not check out more here?
ASUS – ROG Gaming Desktop
Saving the best until last of course now. Currently, at Best Buy you can pick up a rather powerful VR-ready PC build with plenty of bells and whistles. Currently on sale for $1,199, this ASUS sports an Intel Core i7-12700F. It also has 16GB Memory and a beautiful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card. Storage wise you also get a 1TB HDD and a 512GB SSD. Decent processor, killer GPU, and a good amount of storage, this is the perfect package for VR gaming.
The full specifications are as follows :
Processor Model Intel 12th Generation Core i7
Processor Model Number 12700F
Storage Type HDD, SSD
Total Storage Capacity 1512 gigabytes
Solid State Drive Capacity 512 gigabytes
Hard Drive Capacity 1000 gigabytes
System Memory (RAM) 16 gigabytes
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
Operating System Windows 11 Home
Product Name ROG Gaming Desktop – Intel Core i7-12700F – 16GB Memory – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 – 1TB HDD + 512GB SSD
Brand ASUS
Model Number GT15CF-I73060VR
Year of Release 2022
Color Category Black
Overall
So that’s our list. Hopefully, we’ve provided enough variety and price range to suit your needs. For individuals who wish to explore the fascinating world of virtual reality without breaking the bank, a VR-capable budget PC is a great choice. You may create an effective and engaging VR system at a reasonable cost by carefully balancing the proper components and taking into account your needs. You can make sure that your low-cost PC can handle the demands of virtual reality by using the advice provided in this article, enabling you to fully immerse yourself in the incredible experiences that VR has to offer. Prepare to be taken to a different universe by starting to build or choose your VR-ready low-cost Computer right away!
