The Best VR Laptops Available Today

Are you interested in virtual reality on the go? Do you feel the experience provided by the Samsung Gear VR inadequate?

First of all, get either the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive. Both are excellent VR headsets that provide immersive experiences.

Next, you’ll need a VR-capable laptop.

Virtual reality capability comes at a steep price, and gaming laptops are notorious for being expensive and yet not as capable as even budget gaming computers.

Fortunately, that’s a worry of the past as the latest crop of mobile GPUs from Nvidia, the Nvidia 10-series, are extremely capable.

Let’s first discuss what makes for a VR-ready laptop and then we’ll move on to the best VR laptops available today.

Requirements For VR on a Laptop

Laptop PCs use different components than their desktop counterparts.

Because laptops are supposed to be portable and should have the ability to provide excellent battery life, they have to use power efficient hardware.

Due to this requirement, hardware manufacturers have to make performance compromises. Fortunately, modern laptop components have achieved a threshold of performance that will satisfy the needs of even the most demanding VR games out there.

Let’s have a look at the minimum specs your laptop will need to have to be capable of VR:

• GPU: Nvidia GTX 980, 1060 or better
• CPU: Intel Core i5-6300HQ (4 cores) or better
• RAM: 8 GB or more
• Ports: Two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 1.4

Be mindful of the ports your laptop is going to have. The most promising VR headsets run a myriad of cables to the computer to get display input and to output data, such as controls back to the VR game.

The Best VR Laptops

 

Acer Predator Helios 300 (17 inches)

The Acer Predator Helios 300 manages to provide a balanced mix of performance and build quality at a very competitive price. For times when you get tired of your VR headset, you can continue to enjoy gaming on the Helios’ high quality, full HD display.

The Nvidia GTX 1060 provides desktop levels of graphical performance, and that allows the Helios 300 to run most modern game titles at medium to high settings when in VR mode.

For the price, the Helios is an excellent performer and those looking for a budget VR laptop should check it out. The computer is also capable of 5 hours of cord-free operation. Granted, you won’t see the same battery performance while gaming, but that’s still a great accomplishment for a gaming machine.

Key specifications:

• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 6 GB VRAM
• CPU: Intel Core i7-7700HQ (4-core)
• RAM: 16 GB DDR4
• Display: 17 inch, 1920×1080 pixels (Full HD)

Price: $1,199

Razer Blade (14 inches, 2017 model)

The Razer Blade has always had a premium price. But that cost is mostly justified as it can be compared to the Macbook of gaming laptops.

It doesn’t have a garish red-on-black colour scheme and looks incredibly discrete. Add the slim chassis to the mix and you have a laptop that doesn’t seem anywhere near the levels of gaming performance it’s able to achieve.

Housed inside the chassis is a Nvidia GTX 1060 which will play most modern game titles at medium-to-high settings while in VR. The 14 inch full HD display is a joy to look at which means you won’t have to settle for the usual inferior quality that laptop displays provide.

The small footprint of this device makes it highly portable and great for stowing away into a suitcase while you’re travelling. What’s more, the price of the Blade 14 inch isn’t as absurd as it used to be. Sure, you’re still paying a hefty amount of premium, but then you’re also getting a premium laptop PC that is VR capable.

Key specifications:

• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 6 GB VRAM
• CPU: Intel Core i7-7700HQ (4-core)
• RAM: 16 GB DDR4
• Display: 14 inch, 1920×1080 pixels (Full HD)

Price: $2,099

Alienware R3 (13 inches, 2017 model)

Quite amazingly, the Alienware R3 has the same internal hardware as the laptops we’ve so far covered. Why amazing? Because this is a 13-inch laptop.

13-inch laptops are all about portability. They’re never intended for serious gaming performance because the chassis is just too small to house powerful components.

If you cram a lot of high-performance hardware in a small space, the thermal performance usually suffers, and there’s a chance of hardware failure as a result. Fortunately, the Alienware R3’s high level of engineering has kept the heat levels of the laptop to a minimum.

The gaming performance of the R3 will be on the same level as the laptops we’ve discussed before. However, the R3 is quite a bit cheaper than the Razer Blade. In fact, you could pick up an Alienware R3 and an Oculus Rift for the amount you’d spend on the Razer Blade. This makes this laptop a brilliant buy for someone looking for a highly portable, VR-capable machine that won’t break the bank.

Key specifications:

• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 6 GB VRAM
• CPU: Intel Core i7-7700HQ (4-core)
• RAM: 16 GB DDR4
• Display: 13.3 inch, 1920×1080 pixels (Full HD)

Price: $1,649

ASUS ROG Zephyrus GX501 (15 inches)

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus is a new breed of gaming laptops that come with Nvidia’s Max-Q technology. Max-Q is a technology that lets laptops be incredibly thin while housing the most potent hardware components out there.

As a result of Max-Q implementation, the Zephyrus can be equipped with the monstrous Nvidia GTX 1080, a feat hitherto impossible in such a svelte frame.

The Zephyrus can be equipped with either a GTX 1070 or the GTX 1080 Nvidia graphics processors. Both of these provide excellent VR gaming performance and will continue to do so for some time to come.

The Zephyrus, despite its Max-Q tech, isn’t outrageously expensive. If you equip it with the 1070, it will cost you nearly the same as the afore-mentioned Razer Blade 14. Granted, it isn’t as portable, but its gaming performance is a notch up as well.

Key specifications:

• GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 6 GB VRAM
• CPU: Intel Core i7-7700HQ (4-core)
• RAM: 16 GB DDR4
• Display: 15.6 inch, 1920×1080 pixels (Full HD)

Price: $2,699 (GTX 1080), $2,299 (GTX 1070)

Acer Predator 21 X (21 inches)

We feel guilty including the Acer Predator 21 X on this list. Something that comes with its suitcase-sized travel case will never be portable. On top of that, the Predator 21 X is also eye-wateringly expensive, costing roughly the same as a small hatchback car.

But since we’re talking about the best VR laptops, it would be unfair to exclude the Predator. Its behemoth proportions are justified because inside the chassis lie two Geforce GTX 1080 that work together to provide astronomical levels of VR gaming performance.

As a result, the Predator 21 X is probably the last VR-ready laptop you’ll need to buy. At least for the next five years anyway. Yes, it has gigantic proportions for a laptop, but it’s still a laptop.

The performance levels exceed any laptop available today, and you can still carry it around. The Predator 21 also comes with a curved display with top-notch visual characteristics.

Key specifications:

• GPU: 2x Nvidia GTX 1080 in SLi, 16 GB VRAM
• CPU: Intel Core i7-7820HK (8-core)
• RAM: 64 GB DDR4
• Display: 21 inch, 2560×1080 pixels (Full HD)

Price: $10,107

Final Thoughts

Laptops provide users with quite a few advantages. They’re light, and you can use them while in bed. Excluding the outrageous Acer Predator 21 X, all of the gaming above laptops are portable VR gaming machines that can quickly be taken when travelling.

Laptops like the ASUS Zephyrus offer exceptional gaming performance while looking discrete. Because of its innovative technology, unobtrusive looks and competitive price, the ASUS Zephyrus is our pick out of the best VR laptops.

In the end, it’s up to you on what you want from your VR gaming experience. Bear in mind though that unlike desktop PCs, it’s practically impossible to upgrade a laptop.

That is why it’s essential to buy the best VR laptop that will satisfy your performance needs for the foreseeable future.