The Vive Pro’s better graphics will need a better PC if users are expecting to see the kind of visual upgrades that HTC intended them to have through the headset’s upgraded, higher resolution displays. That’s according to HTC’s Senior Manager for Product Marketing for VR, J.B. McRee, who has reportedly stated that you will get higher performance with a higher GPU. This is in reference to the recommended specifications that HTC believes consumers who want to dive into the Vive Pro should have, which is information that HTC hasn’t actually shared at this time, and that leaves consumers who are interested in grabbing the Vive Pro but also being able to see its advantages, without any knowledge on what to buy, at least for now, and it’s worth mentioning that McRee did note that the Vive Pro units at CES were running off of a single NVIDIA GTX 1080 GPU.
This is perhaps unsurprising to some consumers, especially those who are familiar with PC components and PC gaming and the requirements that are set forth by the companies that make game content, as many new games will push the boundaries of what current technology can do for the graphics and better, more powerful hardware is always needed to see the best possible visuals. The Vive Pro won’t be any different.
Now, that isn’t to say that the Vive Pro will require a better PC altogether because HTC was already clear about the fact that the minimum PC spec requirements will not be changing. Meaning they’ll be exactly the same as they are for the original Vive. This is good news for anyone who has the Vive and may want to upgrade, or for those who have purchased the components to at least meet the minimum spec requirements as they’ll still be able to use the Vive Pro without issue, it’s just that the better visuals won’t be noticeable, or as noticeable. That said McRee also suggests that some games may not necessarily need more powerful specs to get the better visuals, as he does point out that all games are different and demand different hardware. Some developers will also optimize content to a fair degree which is another thing to consider. In the end though, what it comes down to is that consumers who want the Vive Pro for its improved visual prowess will likely need to upgrade their hardware.