Across the Oculus Platform—Rift, Touch, and our core system software—we’re continuously working to upgrade and advance the PC VR experience for everyone. Doing so requires taking full advantage of the latest technology.

That’s why, as of today, we’re updating our minimum and recommended spec OS to Windows 10 to power the full Rift experience. Windows 7 and 8.1 users are still supported for the Rift features they know and love today, but they may not be able to use many new and upcoming features and apps. We encourage everyone who isn’t already running Windows 10 to upgrade now to avoid missing out on what’s next.

What’s Changing?

Windows 10 is now the minimum and recommended operating system spec for Rift. With most active Rift owners (95%) running Windows 10, this ensures we’re focused on delivering the latest advancements to the highest number of people possible.

If you’re currently running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, we recommend that you update to Windows 10 now to take full advantage of Rift’s functionality, features, and growing content library.

If you’re not sure whether or not your current hardware and OS are up to speed, you can use our compatibility check tool to see if your computer meets our minimum or recommended system specs.

Why Now?

Microsoft has deprecated mainstream support for Windows 7 and 8.1, so a shift to Windows 10 ensures we’ll be able to deliver the best performance standards for Rift owners, while aligning with industry standards.

Updating to Windows 10 also helps your system prepare for essential—and exciting—advancements coming soon. Rift Core 2.0 is our upgraded system software, currently available via opt-in beta. With a redesigned Home experience, app and window multitasking in Dash, and Oculus Desktop’s mirror monitors, Rift Core 2.0 pushes resource-heavy function while still maintaining Rift’s high-end performance standards. Windows 10 is integral to supporting these features. When Rift Core 2.0 rolls out to everyone later this year, people below the new minimum and recommended spec OS will still have access, but with some limitations.

What If I Choose Not to Upgrade?

Rift owners whose PCs aren’t running Windows 10 may find their systems are incompatible with some new apps and games. You’ll still be able to get the same VR features and functions you have today, including things like responding to platform notifications, interacting with friends on the platform, managing your device, and running VR apps that don’t require Windows 10. You can still use Windows 7 and Windows 8 with most of Rift Core 2.0’s core functionality, but things like Oculus Desktop require Windows 10, as does the ability to run Dash as an overlay.

Get Prepared: Min and Rec Spec

To ensure you get all of the latest features and advancements for Rift, and to guard against incompatibility, we recommend your PC meet or exceed these system specifications. For questions and additional information, please contact Oculus Support. Remember, some developers may push the boundaries in the future, and certain experiences may require a system exceeding our minimum or recommended specifications. You should refer to the recommended specifications for the Rift experiences you intend to use.

Rec Spec

Graphics Card: NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or greater

Alternative Graphics Card: NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD Radeon R9 290 or greater

CPU: Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or greater

Memory: 8GB+ RAM

Video Output: Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output

USB Ports: 3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 port

OS: Windows 10 operating system

Min Spec

Graphics Card: NVIDIA GTX 1050Ti / AMD Radeon RX 470 or greater

Alternative Graphics Card: NVIDIA GTX 960 / AMD Radeon R9 290 or greater

CPU: Intel i3-6100 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200, FX4350 or greater

Memory: 8GB+ RAM

Video Output: Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output

USB Ports: 1x USB 3.0 port, plus 2x USB 2.0 ports

OS: Windows 10 operating system

More to Come

We’ll have more news to share tomorrow, including some exciting updates from Oculus Medium and Rift Core 2.0, so stay tuned!

— The Oculus Team