Less than 1% of the world's computers can run virtual reality glasses

Beijing time, December 31 morning news, the development of virtual reality technology is facing a major problem. Although many technology companies will launch virtual reality equipment in 2016, there are currently few home PCs that can support Facebook Oculus and other such systems.

According to Nvidia, by next year, only about 13 million computers in the world will have integrated display chips that can support virtual reality. According to Gartner, the total number of PCs in use worldwide in 2016 is about 1.43 billion, so these top-end PCs account for less than 1%.

Virtual reality headsets, which create immersive 3D environments for users, are expected to be the stars of the 2016 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which opens in Las Vegas on January 6. More than 40 exhibitors will showcase virtual reality products at the show, a 77% increase from 2015. HTC is expected to show a new version of Vive at CES this year and start selling it in April. According to a Twitter message posted by Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey on December 22, Facebook is still following its original plan to launch its first consumer version of virtual reality products by the end of March.

[[161026]] HTC Vive virtual reality glasses

"I think there's huge potential for this technology, but I also think we need to be pragmatic about how it will develop in the short term," said Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst at market research firm HS. "Given the investment that big tech companies are making in virtual reality, the enthusiasm is understandable, but there are still many challenges for virtual reality devices to go to market."

IHS estimates that by the end of 2016, there will be about 7 million VR devices in use on the market, while the Consumer Technology Association, the organizer of CES, predicts that VR device sales will reach 1.2 million in 2016. Although this figure is six times that of last year and will bring in $540 million in total revenue, it is still far less than the $2 billion that Facebook paid for Oculus in 2014.

People who have tried the latest virtual reality devices often exclaim in amazement. For example, with virtual reality devices, you can climb the Himalayas in a virtual environment and experience every detail. However, providing such an experience requires powerful hardware support, and most computers cannot meet the requirements of virtual reality technology. Facebook recommends that Oculus Rift requires a computer with an Nvidia GeForce 970 or AMD Radeon 290 graphics card, both of which cost more than $300, similar to an Xbox One or PS4. In addition, Oculus Rift has other hardware requirements, such as an Intel i5 processor, more than 8GB of memory, and a USB 3.0 port.

There is a reason why virtual reality technology has such high hardware requirements: if the hardware configuration is insufficient, the user experience will be affected. Due to the certain delay in display, early virtual reality devices often cause motion sickness. The standard PC game frame rate is 30fps, and if you want to bring smooth and natural virtual reality pictures, you need to achieve a frame rate of 90fps on two video projectors (one for each eye). Currently, only a laptop priced at $1,500 can do this.

Facebook will initially focus on the gaming market. Gamers are often willing to pay a high price to play the hottest games. In a November earnings call, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that virtual reality technology will take some time to develop. He said: "There is some great content now, but unless there are millions of devices on the market, I don't think the industry will be willing to invest heavily in this area in 2016."

However, not all virtual reality devices have the same high hardware requirements as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Sony's virtual reality device will be used with PS4, while Samsung and Google have launched products that work with smartphones. However, Harding-Rolls believes that such products may not work well or even cause users to stop liking virtual reality. He said: "There is still a lot of work to be done before we can launch a mainstream product that can attract the public's interest."

Nvidia hopes that virtual reality technology can revitalize the long-sluggish PC market. The company predicts that by 2020, the number of PCs that support virtual reality technology will grow to 100 million, and the demand for virtual reality will drive the sales growth of display chips. Jason Paul, general manager of Nvidia's virtual reality business, said: "Delivering virtual reality technology is a complex challenge."

Analysts don't expect virtual reality to do much to help the computer market, which IDC predicts will see its fifth straight year of decline in PC sales in 2016.