What the Mac really needs to handle VR

The Mac has never been known for high-end gaming. It just doesn't seem to be a market Apple believes the company should compete in. That's likely why the Mac also isn't currently equipped to run high-end VR headsets like Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. That's now, though. What about the future?

Russell Holly, writing for VRHeads.com:

While it's a little rough that Apple fans are going to need a complete hardware upgrade to be VR-ready, it's not the only hurdle. Oculus and HTC have to support Mac OS separately, and for Oculus that could mean fragmenting their store into Mac and non-Mac VR games. We've already seen Valve do this with non-VR games on their Steam platform, so it's likely the Steam VR-powered HTC Vive would have a similar experience. It's unlikely Mac owners with VR hardware would be able to play all of the games current VR owners can play at least at first, so it's an uphill battle on multiple fronts for Apple fans.

My guess is this — if next-generation Macs can support current generation VR, it'll be coincidental. Apple won't be targeting VR specifically, but if the Macs get newer, more powerful chipsets that happen to be able to handle VR, then great.

In the meantime, if you don't want to wait, you can enter the VRHead's give-away for a full-on gaming PC and HTC Vive right now!

Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.