If you had your heart set on experiencing some of the adventures promised by virtual reality, you may have to shell out some more money before you begin your journey.
This year has been teased as the big coming out party for virtual reality, with several companies planning software and hardware releases that will transport goggle-wearing users to other 3D worlds. But to fully enjoy that journey, the graphics processor in your computer is going to have to be a lot stronger to render VR images -- about seven times stronger than the average power found in gamers' PCs today, according to Nvidia, the world's largest maker of stand-alone graphics chips.
Only 13 million PCs worldwide will have that kind of power in 2016, according to the Santa Clara, California-based graphics chip maker. That is less than 1 percent of the 1.43 billion computers expected to be in use this year, according to
research firm Gartner data cited by Bloomberg.
"From 3D gaming to product design, to cinematic experiences and beyond,virtual reality promises to change the way we experience everyday things," Nvidia said in an emailed statement. "Delivering VR is a complex challenge, especially since immersive VR requires seven times the graphics processing power compared to traditional 3D applications and games."
