Only a fraction of the world’s computers can handle the Oculus Rift

We’ve known the Oculus Rift is going to be far from accessible to most people for a while now, but we didn’t know exactly how inaccessible it’s going to be until now. According to NVIDIA, only the most powerful computers out there will be able to handle the virtual reality headset, with less than one percent of the world’s 1.43 billion computers expected to be up to the task. This means that unless you’re a PC gaming enthusiast with enough money to have an expensive gaming rig, then you’re probably going to have to wait a while to get your own Oculus headset.

2016 is expected to be the year of virtual reality (although in actuality, it’ll likely be a few more years before the technology really takes root among general consumers). Regardless, some VR systems will arrive this year including the granddaddy of them all, the Oculus Rift. That’s great news for enthusiasts, assuming of course that you have a system powerful enough to run the rig. According to Nvidia, most machines won’t be up to the task. The graphics chip maker estimates that only 13 million PCs worldwide will be powerful enough to push the Rift and other serious VR headsets. Research firm Gartner notes that Rift-capable machines will account for less than one percent of the 1.43 billion computers expected to be in use this year. Last May, the Facebook-owned company revealed recommended hardware specifications needed for the best experience with its VR headset. Those specs included an Intel Core i5-4590 or better, an AMD 290 / Nvidia GTX 970 or equivalent and at least 8GB of RAM in addition to an HDMI 3.1 video output, two USB 3.0 ports and Windows 7 SP1 or newer.