Best VR Graphics Card In 2022
If you're finding the real world a bit too much to cope with at the moment, then why not dive into the virtual one with this guide for the best VR graphics card in 2022. Virtual reality gaming is easily one of the most exciting ways to play, but you will need some serious horsepower if you want to get the most out of your headset. So, to find out what the best VR graphics card in 2022 is, make sure to keep on reading down below.
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Best VR Graphics Card 2022
When figuring out what the best VR graphics card in 2022 is, you have to take into account a number of different factors. While you're going to want the best performance from your graphics card in general when PC gaming, both performance and quality are even more important in VR. As virtual reality is trying to emulate the feeling of real life - and the screen is so much closer to your face - making sure that the fidelity and framerate of your game is as high as possible is vital to achieving a good experience in-game.
Considering that the refresh rates of the three most popular VR headsets (HTC Vive, Meta Quest 2, Valve Index) are 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz respectively, you're going to want to make sure that the FPS on your game meets that (or at least what you set it to), while also maintaining the best graphical quality possible.
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Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
Click to enlargeIf you're looking for the overall best VR graphics card in 2022, then the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is definitely going to be the way to go. Being the flagship GPU on the market right now, you literally cannot find a better performing card, and that translates perfectly to VR performance too.
Of course, the two main problems you are likely to run into are the price, and then actually getting hold of one, but if those two factors aren't an issue for you, then the 4090 is unequivocally your best choice.
It in some cases doubles the already gargantuan performance of the RTX 3090, and also has the capability for DLSS 3.0, which could really help improve your framerate in supported games.
You can pick up the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition on Best Buy for under $1,600, or you can head to Amazon and get the PNY RTX 4090 Gaming Verto Epic-X for under $2,300.
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Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090
Click to enlargeIf you can't get the RTX 4090 though, then why not opt for - at least for the time being - the next best thing? Before the announcement of the Nvidia 40-series cards, it was the 3090 (and its big brother the 3090 TI) that was the best of the bunch when it came to graphics cards for VR. While you could very well go for the 3090 TI if you wanted the best of the best performance-wise outside of the 4090, it doesn't offer enough of an improvement over its standard sibling to warrant the increase in price.
You'll be able to easily maintain 120 FPS on ultra settings for Half Life Alyx, which is arguably VR's most desirable - and best looking game. The sky is really your limit with this card, and there are only a handful of better ways to enjoy virtual reality than with the RTX 3090.
The ASUS Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 TUF edition can be found on Best Buy for under $960, and then on Amazon for under $1300.
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AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
Click to enlargeThe AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is a fantastic 'red team' equivalent to the RTX 3080, with far better availability and pricing at this current time. It has a boost clock speed of 2250 MHz, and the power to take on even the most demanding games right now at 4K resolution. This makes it perfect for VR, where you're going to want a combination of the highest textures and the highest framerates possible in order to uphold the suspension of disbelief.
Another thing that is handy for anyone with a Ryzen CPU in their system is the AMD Smart Access Memory system, which boosts performance of both components when you combine an AMD GPU and CPU in the same system.
You can pick up the XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics card on Best Buy for under $600 here.
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Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
Click to enlargeThe Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 offers a fantastic balance of price to performance for virtual reality gaming, being arguably the best value VR graphics card - at least until the new lineup of GPUs fully release.
Offering the same range of performance as the RTX 2080 TI, which was the previous generation's leading performer, the 3070 is more than capable of handling the demands of VR. While you might not be able to stretch the resolution to the heights of the other, higher-performing cards in this list, you will still be able to maintain a consistently high framerate to ensure a smooth experience.
Outside of the Founders Edition version straight from Nvidia, the best value third-party AIB card is the TUF variant from ASUS, which gives great thermal performance and sleek design.
You can get the ASUS Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 TUF graphics card from Best Buy for under $600, or the MSI Gaming Ventus 2x Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 from Amazon for under $580.
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Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Click to enlargeRounding this guide off for the best VR graphics card is the RTX 3060 Ti, which alongside the 3070 was one of the most popular cards of the Ampere range from Nvidia. While undoubtedly the weakest card on this list in terms of pure performance, it will still serve you incredibly well for VR, so if you're wanting a budget option, you can't get much better than this.
Even on Ultra settings with moderate supersampling, the 3060 Ti is comfortably unmoved at the 90 FPS mark on Half Life Alyx, giving you an excellent experience in VR's flagship title. Therefore, you really won't have to worry too much about most other virtual reality titles either, at least until they start becoming even more demanding.
Pick up the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti for under $400 on Best Buy, or the ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Twin Edge OC is available on Amazon for under $500.
So, this rounds off this guide for the best VR graphics card in 2022, giving you some fantastic options for your new virtual reality setup. If you're also wanting a card with a smaller footprint though, make sure to check out our best low profile graphics cards in 2022 guide here.
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