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Test your PC for VR-readiness with Valve’s Portal Demo

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Valve releases Portal themed VR-readiness test

Virtual Reality is not going to be cheap this year. The Oculus Rift is going for a staggering $599, while HTC revealed their price for the Vive yesterday – sitting at $799. Those are prices above the requirements needed to run these headsets properly, which also means you’ll be looking at potential upgrade costs on top of the purchase itself. But just what do you need to upgrade? Valve’s new free VR-readiness tool seeks to answer that question.

Available now for free on Steam, this new Portal-themed app captures around two minutes of gameplay from the actual Aperture Robot Repair VR demo, and stresses your PC to see if it is able to handle it all above 90FPS. This is the ideal framerate for VR, which is then duplicated across two 1080p screens for both eyes. In short, it’s a lot more taxing than a single 1080p title at 60FPS, which is why VR needs such a physical power overhead.

The test does deliver a lot of information on completion, including how many frames were dropped, what the cause of their dropping was and how you can improve you PC. I took my personal desktop for a spin (equipped with a still awesome Sandy Bridge Core i7 and GTX 970) and was pleasantly surprised to see I not only make the cut, but am ready to run current VR titles at High settings.

Steam VR Test

These settings will change over time of course, but it’s a neat tool to have at your disposal. If your PC isn’t up to scratch the benchmark will identify which part of your PC is bottlenecking performance, which you’ll need to upgrade or replace in your PC to reach that 90FPS sweet spot.

Then the only real challenge is trying to find the money for either the Oculus Rift or Vive – which seems like a much more difficult task.

Last Updated: February 23, 2016

No Comments

  1. Ottokie

    February 23, 2016 at 10:32

    At $599 and $799, I won’t even bother xD

    Reply

  2. Alien Emperor Trevor

    February 23, 2016 at 10:32

    It’s also a 4gb download. I was vaguely curious, then I saw that.

    Reply

  3. Captain JJ the "saviour"

    February 23, 2016 at 10:34

    I have tested.

    Turns out I’m poor.

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      February 23, 2016 at 10:35

      I prefer “2D-rich”.

      Reply

      • Captain JJ the "saviour"

        February 23, 2016 at 10:36

        Funny story. When I got to my desk on Monday there was R220 lying on it.
        I have no idea where it came from.
        So I know what it feels like to suddenly be rich.

        Reply

    • Pariah

      February 23, 2016 at 10:35

      Behold mine wallet, and thou shalt notice that it is barren.

      Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 23, 2016 at 10:52

      You needed to be tested to find that out? 😛

      Reply

      • Commander Admiral Chief

        February 23, 2016 at 10:54

        He could be rich if he cut out his brow-supplements and brow-conditioner every month

        Reply

        • Captain JJ the "saviour"

          February 23, 2016 at 10:54

          Yes, but honestly, is it worth it?

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            February 23, 2016 at 10:55

            Well……. If you wear the VR goggles no one can see your brows

          • Captain JJ the "saviour"

            February 23, 2016 at 10:56

            Hmm. It looks like we’ve reached an impasse

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 23, 2016 at 10:56

            His brows find a way to peek out

  4. Jan Prins

    February 23, 2016 at 10:35

    R9180.00 for a VR headset… Or R12240… Can I not just stick my forehead to my monitor like real close?

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      February 23, 2016 at 10:36

      Yeah for a straight dollar conversion, everyone’s forgetting about the import charges, taxes, all the other fees. Budget another 50%.

      Reply

      • Jan Prins

        February 23, 2016 at 10:37

        So in other words: Hell to the No!

        Reply

      • Captain JJ the "saviour"

        February 23, 2016 at 10:37

        The way it’s looking now guys can import women from Russia for cheaper and still get the sexperience they’re wanting from VR.

        Reply

        • Ottokie

          February 23, 2016 at 10:39

          Now that’s thinking “outside” the box xD

          Reply

          • Captain JJ the "saviour"

            February 23, 2016 at 10:40

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            February 23, 2016 at 10:42

            Not really :/

          • Ottokie

            February 23, 2016 at 10:42

            True, she probably comes IN a box

        • Jan Prins

          February 23, 2016 at 10:42

          I’ll just go with the VR then. NEver know when you “import’ Liam Neeson’s daughter…

          Reply

          • Captain JJ the "saviour"

            February 23, 2016 at 10:44

            O_O

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            February 23, 2016 at 10:44

            But technically you’d be his son-in-law, so wouldn’t you be safe?

          • Jan Prins

            February 23, 2016 at 10:49

            “I will find you, and I will congratulate you.”

      • Jan Prins

        February 23, 2016 at 10:38

        But here’s the thing. I wonder how many will succumb to geeky version lust and just hand over that amount of cash?

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          February 23, 2016 at 10:41

          Sure as hell not me. That’s a years worth of beer and hookers.

          Reply

          • Jan Prins

            February 23, 2016 at 10:46

            My beer bill a year is about R225. I once tried to pick up a hooker and she was like “Honey there ain’t enough money in this world…”

  5. Pieter Kruger

    February 23, 2016 at 10:44

    Ouch! Wonder how many of the “Mater Race PC gamers” will pass this test…….????????????

    Reply

    • Ottokie

      February 23, 2016 at 10:47

      It’s a dog eat dog world out there in the master race

      Reply

      • Jan Prins

        February 23, 2016 at 10:50

        No. He said Mater Race.

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          February 23, 2016 at 10:52

          Right, because dogs mate

          Reply

          • Jan Prins

            February 23, 2016 at 11:00

            But in Afrikaans “paar” hulle

        • Captain JJ the "saviour"

          February 23, 2016 at 10:52

          Just to make sure he’s safe and this doesn’t get taken up the wrong way and turns into a console/pc fight…I’ve gone ahead and made it clear for all to see. 😛

          Reply

        • Ottokie

          February 23, 2016 at 10:52

    • Commander Admiral Chief

      February 23, 2016 at 10:53

      Elo Mate

      Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      February 23, 2016 at 10:53

      Considering that only 4.13% of gamers have the 970 according to Steam, which is the minimum, and even less people will have anything above that or the AMD equivalent – not that many.

      Reply

      • Captain JJ the "saviour"

        February 23, 2016 at 10:54

        Yes, well, being Maters they’re probably pirates anyway.

        Reply

        • Pieter Kruger

          February 23, 2016 at 10:57

          Fixed it!????

          Reply

          • Captain JJ the "saviour"

            February 23, 2016 at 10:57

            Well, that’s why I kept the proof below 😀 Just in case. 😛

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            February 23, 2016 at 10:58

            Typical Xbox, 180 spelling corrections. 😉

          • Hammersteyn

            February 23, 2016 at 10:58

            hue hue hue

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 23, 2016 at 10:58

            xD

          • Pieter Kruger

            February 23, 2016 at 10:58

            LOL, at least correcting our mistakes….????

      • Hammersteyn

        February 23, 2016 at 10:54

        Also only about 4.13% can probably afford it

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          February 23, 2016 at 10:56

          What’ll be interesting is how many say “OMG this is the bestest thing ever” because they need to justify their expensive purchase.

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            February 23, 2016 at 10:56

            Hahahaha just like Iphones

          • Captain JJ the "saviour"

            February 23, 2016 at 10:57

            Like buying Assassin’s Creed Unity.

    • CypherGate

      February 23, 2016 at 12:04

      My PC cant even display the title screen for Far Cry 3 LMAO

      Reply

  6. Hammersteyn

    February 23, 2016 at 10:51

    PC gamers be like…

    Reply

    • Commander Admiral Chief

      February 23, 2016 at 10:53

      Console gamers be like “lets mock pc gamers bickering about hardware that is 15 times more powerful than that which we have”

      Reply

      • Jan Prins

        February 23, 2016 at 10:57

        Annndddd how’s Mortal Kombat, Arkham Knight et al doing on PC these days????
        😛

        Reply

        • Commander Admiral Chief

          February 23, 2016 at 10:58

          1.) Don’t care
          2.) Don’t care

          Pick one

          Reply

          • Jan Prins

            February 23, 2016 at 11:22

            OK. I’ll admit. That was Troll level Fail from my side…

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          February 23, 2016 at 10:59

          How’s The Sims 4 doing on console?

          Reply

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 23, 2016 at 11:01

            LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

            GG

            WP

          • Jan Prins

            February 23, 2016 at 11:03

            Not enough HDD space for all the add-ons, mate. 😛

          • Captain JJ the "saviour"

            February 23, 2016 at 11:06

            Of all the pc games you could’ve chosen, you pick a DLC riddled EA game.
            That alone makes me want to buy a console.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            February 23, 2016 at 11:08

            lol. Only picked it because I know he likes it, if I didn’t I don’t know what I would’ve done.

          • Captain JJ the "saviour"

            February 23, 2016 at 11:08

            Oh, okay. Fair enough. 😀

          • Hammersteyn

            February 23, 2016 at 11:08

            It’s not a tumor it’s DLC

          • Captain JJ the "saviour"

            February 23, 2016 at 11:09

            EA is the tumor.

        • Captain JJ the "saviour"

          February 23, 2016 at 10:59

          Thheeeeeyyyyy’rrrreeeee
          ddddooinnnggggg
          okkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk…..
          https://bd23.https.cdn.softlayer.net/80BD23/142.4.51.106/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/program_has_stopped_working_error.png

          Reply

          • Ottokie

            February 23, 2016 at 11:03

            Well that caught me out xD

      • Hammersteyn

        February 23, 2016 at 11:06

        If you feel mocked then it means you’re buying into this gimmick?

        Reply

        • Commander Admiral Chief

          February 23, 2016 at 11:07

          What? VR? Bwahahaha, surely you know me better D

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            February 23, 2016 at 11:08

            XD

    • Captain JJ the "saviour"

      February 23, 2016 at 11:01

      I promised myself to be nice to both sides. So I won’t be sucked in by your mocking. 😛

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        February 23, 2016 at 11:02

        Well according to Trevors stats it’s true

        Reply

        • Captain JJ the "saviour"

          February 23, 2016 at 11:02

          I can’t see what you posted above tbh. It’s blocked.

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            February 23, 2016 at 11:04

            It’s the clip from a Knights Tale. Where they stand around the bad guy and tell him he’s been measured, weighed and found wanting

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 23, 2016 at 11:04

            I liked that movie.

            What was that lady’s name? Dayum she was hawt

          • Captain JJ the "saviour"

            February 23, 2016 at 11:05

            Shannyn Sosshshshosososoosoman

          • Hammersteyn

            February 23, 2016 at 11:05

            LOL something like that

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            February 23, 2016 at 11:06

            Sodamnhotaman?

          • Captain JJ the "saviour"

            February 23, 2016 at 11:07

            Hehe

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 23, 2016 at 11:07

            I just read her one kid’s name is Audio Science.

            So yeah, she just dropped a hundred or so on my hawt list

          • Captain JJ the "saviour"

            February 23, 2016 at 11:08

            over 9000

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 23, 2016 at 11:11

            Audio Science????

            WHY WORLD WHYYYY???!?!?!?!?!

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            February 23, 2016 at 11:14

            Because it sounds smart.

  7. Dresden

    February 23, 2016 at 11:01

    Heh, you have a “Sandy” Bridge Core i7…

    Reply

    • Commander Admiral Chief

      February 23, 2016 at 11:01

      Hahaha, well spotted!

      Reply

  8. HairyEwok

    February 23, 2016 at 12:36

    Guess I’ll be stuck with real life reality for now since it’s the only thing I can afford

    Reply

  9. Kromas untamed

    February 23, 2016 at 12:46

    Can’t wait for my Vive to arrive.

    Reply

  10. geel slang

    February 24, 2016 at 23:09

    Is your 2600k or 970 overclocked? I have the same setup but getting a lower score(6.9 first run & 6.5 second run),

    Reply

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