If you want to get the most out of your VR headset, you need a pretty powerful computer, but your graphics card is the most important piece of hardware for immersive VR. For regular computer games, everyone likes good graphics and fast frame rates, but it’s not always a big deal if your GPU isn’t doing its job.
It’s annoying, and you might lose one or two games because of it, but that’s about it. In VR, a GPU that doesn’t work well can completely ruin the experience. Things like screen tearing, ghosting, or judder don’t break the illusion, but they can give you a headache, make you feel dizzy, throw you off, or make you feel sick.
Best Graphics Card for VR
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
Features
If you’re looking for the best VR graphics card overall in 2022, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 will be your best bet. As the best GPU on the market right now, you can’t find a better card, and that applies perfectly to VR performance as well. Thus, this product is one of the best Graphics Card for VR available right now.
The price and getting your hands on one are probably going to be your two biggest problems, but if those aren’t a problem for you, the 4090 is without a doubt your best option. In some cases, it doubles the already huge performance of the RTX 3090. It also supports DLSS 3.0, which could really help your framerate in games that support it.
Pros
- Creatives will absolutely love it
- Usual exceptional Founders Edition build quality
- Dual AV1 encoders
- 24GB of VRAM
Cons
- Requires 4 cables on older PSUs
- Still very expensive
- Overkill for most games, even in 4K
- 16-pin connector will test your cable management skills
MSI Ventus OC RTX 3060 Super
Features
If you want slightly better performance than the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT and want to use NVIDIA RTX features like ray tracing and DLSS 2.0 when gaming on a standard monitor, the RTX 3060 Super is a great choice. It costs more, but it is a great graphics card for virtual reality (VR). You shouldn’t have any trouble running games and experiences on modern VR headsets.
The MSI Ventus GP OC version of the RTX 3060 Super that we recommend has 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM, 14Gbps memory bandwidth, a 256-bit memory bus, and a boost clock speed of up to 1,785MHz. It uses a 12nm process, but it works just as well as AMD’s 7nm cards. So, if you want one of the best Graphics Card for VR, we highly recommend this product.
Pros
- Ray tracing
- Smooth 1440p gaming
- NVIDIA G-Sync tech
Cons
- Expensive
MSI Gaming X Radeon RX 5700
Features
MSI’s graphics cards are different from those made by other top companies because they use military-grade parts, which make sure that their products will last. MSI Gaming Radeon RX 5700 is the best graphics card for VR gaming because its performance is on par with the RTX 2070 Super.
This unit is worth considering because it has a better cooling system and faster clock speeds than ASUS and Gigabyte models. Before, MSI Radeon cards were black and red, but now they have a metallic silver tone. Still, it is one of the best Graphics Card for VR that you can consider.
Pros
- VR Ready
- 1440p Gaming
- 1080p Performance
Cons
- No Ray Tracing
- No DLSS
ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Ti AMP Holo
Features
The next card is the Zotac RTX 3070 Ti AMP Holo, which is the fastest version of the RTX 3070 Ti that the company makes. The RTX 3070 Ti AMP Holo has Nvidia’s GA104 GPU, which is cooled by a triple-fan cooler made by Zotac. Overall, it is one of the best Graphics Card for VR that you can buy.
It has a lot of features and works with technologies such as DLSS and ray-tracing. At 1080p and 1440p, the card is a beast for gaming, and it is more than capable of 4K gaming at 60 frames per second. But the card is advertised for 1440p, so if you stick to that resolution, you will be more than happy with how well it works.
Pros
- Support 8K resolution thanks for HDMI 2.1.
- Superb VR performance.
Cons
- Oddly placed power connectors might be upsetting.
EVGA GeForce 08G-P4-5671-KR
Features
EVGA GeForce 08G-P4-5671-KR is the best when it comes to performance. Based on the specs, it’s easy to see that this device has a lot of potential with DX 12 OSD. You can always use optimal overclock by just clicking a button. You can also get a refresh rate of 240 Hz, which makes this good graphics card an even better choice. Overall, this is one of the best Graphics Card for VR that you can buy right now.
Pros
- DX12 OSD support
- EVGA precision XOC
- 240Hz Max refresh rate
Cons
- Expensive
ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce RTX 2080Ti Overclocked 11G
Features
RTX cards have been changing the way people think about VR, which is why we had to pick the 2080Ti for you. Since the editor chose it, you can count on the card. You can check the card’s credibility by reading reviews online or hearing from people who have used it for virtual reality.
Unfortunately, you may have met a lot of people who disagree with the idea that expensive cards are overkill. But here, 2080Ti isn’t. You do need it to get the full 4k VR gaming experience on the headset. Overall, this is one of the best Graphics Card for VR you can suggest you friends.
Pros
- Fascinating display
- Outstanding performance
- Support for VR headset
Cons
- Expensive
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 2060
Features
The second graphics card we got was also from MSI, but this time it was the MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 2060, which is from the same line as the GTX 1060. Well, this graphics card has a big place in the entry-level RTX series because of how well it works and how much it costs. For now, this is the best Graphics Card for VR.
Some cards from the previous series, like the GTX 1070ti, are faster than this one, but it has RTX and DLSS, which are only available on 20-series GPUs. Well, I wouldn’t recommend using Real-Time Ray Tracing with RTX 2060 because it can slow down the frame rates.
Pros
- 6GB of GDDR6 memory.
- Great performance in 1440p.
- Energy efficient graphics card.
- Founders Edition beating performance.
Cons
- No VirtualLink (Type-C) port.
- Backplate is made up of plastic.
FAQs
Is GTX or RTX better for VR?
The RTX 3050 should be the face of PC VR gaming, since it is much faster than the GTX 1660 or the GTX 1660 Super, which are the graphics cards that most people recommend for entry-level VR.
Do I need a powerful GPU for VR?
GPUs are put through a lot of stress because they have to render two displays, one for each eye, to make VR work. Add to that the fact that VR apps have a much higher render resolution, and you can see why a normal graphics processor might not be enough.
How much RAM is good for VR?
RAM is the third most important thing to think about. Most games and VR headsets still recommend having around 8GB of RAM on board. Most people online seem to agree with what the VR developers said, which is that 8GB is enough for now.
