Half-Life Requirements for Half Life Alyx and How to get into VR

Requirements for Half Life Alyx and How to get into VR
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Requirements for Half Life Alyx and How to get into VR

Posted: 11 Feb 2020 04:05 PM PST

Hardware Requirements Guide for Half Life Alyx (March 23, 2020)

In 2020, nearly every new graphics card on sale supports VR and PCs made with new components should support VR out of the box, assuming you're not being ripped off. And while Half Life Alyx raises the minimum requirements slightly, needing 6GB of VRAM in the GPU and 12GB of RAM for the system, VR's reputation for being especially demanding and inaccessible is quickly dissolving. The minimum price for a VR capable computer is around $700, and the minimum for a good headset is $230, for a combined price to get into VR from scratch (owning no PC or just a laptop) of less than $1,000.

This is supposed to be a guide to getting into VR for the absolutely uninitiated who are excited about Alyx, based on the listed minimum specs on Steam. Glossaries for these terms are at the bottom, along with a link to a list of good VR games for 2020.

Here are your options for new entry level budget components:

Use (https://gpu.userbenchmark.com) to compare components

Processor (These are the minimum CPUs. More powerful options can be a good value)

Minimum:

($100) AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (6 cores, 3.2Ghz)

($80) Intel Core i3-9100F (4 cores, 3.6Ghz)

Higher performance:

($175) AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (6 cores, 3.6Ghz)

($170) Intel Core i3-9350KF (4 cores, 4.0Ghz)

Graphics Card (Minimum 6GB of VRAM)

($240) GTX 1660 Super

($260) GTX 1660ti

($280) RX 5600 XT

($300) RTX 2060 KO - Highest performance and RTX features like VRSS

12GB of RAM

Try to get 16GB of RAM that is 3000mhz+, this is especially important on an AMD processor.

VR Headset

To be clear, the game will work fine on any headset, you do not need an Index. Tested has a video where they play Half Life Alyx and try all of these headsets and they say all of them work great.

($230) Samsung Odyssey+

It has a display that is OLED and 1440x1660 (same as Index and Quest), with "anti Screen Door Effect technology" that hides space between pixels at short or medium distances but is said to make far away objects "fuzzy" as a result. It is the best value headset, as the best Windows Mixed Reality headset and almost half as much as the other intro options. This is its sale price, and it goes on sale almost monthly. It is the cheapest headset I can recommend, but in the first generation of headsets many considered the Odyssey+ a nice upgrade over the Vive or OG Rift.

The controllers have a thumbstick, trackpad, and a grip button, with a menu button and a system button underneath. The tracking is an inside out camera tracking with two cameras, the reference design for Windows Mixed Reality. This means it has the weakest tracking of any headset on this list, but the tracking is perfectly fine for most gameplay. I would recommend looking up comparison videos to judge for yourself. The Odyssey comes with built in headphones, unlike the Rift S and Quest, that are considered "good but not great" but are not removable. The headset has a halo strap that goes around your head but no strap going on top of your head, which can be uncomfortable for long periods without adding one yourself. You should add one and pick up a replacement face foam, like one made of pleather. With those adjustments, this headset is a pretty great value for $230. Make sure you are getting the "Plus" version.

($400) Facebook's Oculus Rift S

The Rift S is the new midrange PCVR headset from Facebook's Oculus. It has one LCD display that is divided into two sections, with a higher resolution than the OG Rift or Vive headsets but slightly lower than the other headsets on this list. It runs at 80hz, which is lower than the original Rift's 90hz. One advantage the Rift S has over any other headset, including the Index, is that it has the least glare due to the lenses Oculus developed.

The comfort is relatively good, using a halo strap design, much higher than the Quest, Vive, and higher than the Samsung Odyssey+. The Rift S has speakers inside the halo strap, losing the original Rift's headphones, but these are meant to be replaced by headphones or aftermarket speakers. The Rift S and the Quest use the exact same controllers, the Oculus touch controllers, which are generally considered the best controllers after the Index. They have a joystick, two buttons, a system button, and a grip button. They are compact (with a tracking ring on top) and fit into your hand, and the Oculus tracking is the best outside of SteamVR tracking. Both the Rift S and Quest have a very convenient means of setting up an environment by simply drawing it on your camera view.

One thing to watch out for with the Rift S is that it does not have a manual IPD, which means that because it is one display split in half, it has to digitally focus the image between your eyes rather than moving two displays closer and further apart to bring it in focus. If your pupils are not close to between 61.5 and 65.5 mm apart you should probably not get this headset.

It's worth mentioning that all Oculus exclusive games can be played on other headsets at a small performance penalty in some titles with an open source program called Revive, and any software purchased on the Oculus store will require Revive to work on any other headset in the future.

($400) Facebook's Oculus Quest

The Quest is the much hyped "all in one" VR headset that allows you to play Quest VR games on the go, and to plug it into a PC to play PC games. It uses the same controllers as the Rift S, has an OLED screen, is inside out tracked with 4 cameras, and runs at 72hz.

The Quest has its own store and library of games, with some older VR titles like Superhot and Arizona Sunshine being ported over, and a number of games being made specifically for the quest. It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and a custom build of Android.

Shortly after launch hackers and sideloaders figured out how to stream games from SteamVR to the Quest wirelessly, with heavy compression and latency. Facebook/Oculus shut this down in official apps like Virtual Desktop but you can still unofficially install apps to do this. However several months later the ability was added to the quest to stream games over any USB C 3.0 cable from a PC to the Quest. This allows for playing PC games on a quest but has a bottleneck for compression and is relatively uncomfortable compared to PC headsets. This means there is some added latency. artifacting, and super sampling needs to be enabled with the Debug Tool and runs against a bottleneck. Less supersampling can make the image look worse than a headset with a similar resolution. And even when the quest is plugged into a PC it still can only run at 72hz.

Some media outlets are calling it the best headset hands down. This is not true and I only recommend the Quest if you think PC use will be the minority of the use you get out of it. This is due to the compression and the low comfort of the headset, the headset is very front heavy and even less comfortable when it's linked to a PC with even positive reviews saying it is comfortable for around an hour of use at a time.

The Quest also has speakers inside the strap's socket, but these are meant to be replaced by headphones or aftermarket speakers.

If you get a quest make sure to enable Sideloading, and install "SideQuest," which will allow you to install whatever you want on the system and features a whole store of games both free and paid, tech demos, modding apps, and lots more.

($300-400) HTC Vive

To be frank the HTC Vive has the worst display on this list and the worst controllers. I would only recommend it to someone who is planning on upgrading in the future to the Index, or someone who is really interested in the Vive Wireless adapter ($300). As an upgrade option this isn't bad, as you can use the same lighthouses, saving you $250 dollars by just buying the Index headset and controllers in the future.

It has an OLED screen running at 90hz, but the lowest resolution of the headsets in this list. It has the best tracking behind the Index but the real flaw is the controllers which can feel clunky and out of place compared to all others. I highly recommend picking up the index controllers as soon as you can if you get a Vive.

The headset has been discontinued so you have to buy one used either from HTC or online. Make sure you get a new foam or pleather facepad if one is not provided.

The Vive Wireless Adapter is the only official way to play PCVR content wirelessly on any headset, even Linus Tech Tips said he couldn't tell the difference between wireless and wired performance.

($1,000) Valve Index

The Index is Valve's first VR headset after helping HTC make the Vive. It was never meant to be a headset for mass adoption, intended instead for the people most interested in VR or those who work with it, like developers. But most of all it was meant to prevent the VR market from stagnating, pushing comfort, controls, FOV, and basically everything else a step forward. As developer Anton Hand reviewed it, "it seems like at every turn they chose the more expensive option, but definitely the better one."

It's hard to recommend the Index to anyone who is just entering VR, but if you take the Vive path you can upgrade to the Index (or any steamVR headset) in a modular fashion. I myself bought a Vive in 2018 and bought the Index Headset and Controllers for $750 and kept my Vive base stations.

The Index's biggest flaw may be the substantial glare, sometimes like a glow, especially in dark scenes. This is due to the double lenses the index has, but they also give it a huge sweet spot and the widest FOV on this list (~130° vs 110°). It also is the most comfortable headset by far, to the point that your feet will usually get fatigued before your face or ears. Ear fatigue is actually a non issue with the Index's speakers, which sit over your ears and deliver really good quality audio.

The index controllers are the most lauded feature of the index. They strap to your hand and have a joystick, thumbpad, and two buttons. They also have finger tracking, which refers to both their ability to track the actual rotation of your fingers, but also how they allow you to grip, grab, and analogue squeeze naturally without a button. Being able to naturally grab and let go of the controller is a huge advantage in comfort and immersion. Tracking on the Index is the best, using two laser array lighthouses, but requires guardian boundaries to be set up again on the PC if the lighthouses are taken down or moved. SteamVR is being updated frequently and Valve is teasing "SteamVR 2.0" so this may change.

The Index can run at 80, 90, 120, or 144hz. On my 1080ti many games can run at 144hz without lowering the resolution too much like Superhot, Gorn, and Beat Saber and it's only CPU limited games that can't be run at 120 or 144 at all. Oculus has exclusive games, but ironically many of them work best on an Index, like Vader Immortal, because of the Index Controllers and higher framerate.

Production issues have been a problem with the Index controllers and while Valve will promptly take back your controllers and mail you new ones, a substantial number of users have had to do so for thumbstick click issues or stick drift and it's not understood if Valve has made a hardware revision to address this.

Other Headsets

OG Rift - Similar to the Vive with better controllers but slightly worse tracking. Discontinued.

HP Reverb - The sharpest consumer level headset with a 2K display and WMR controllers and tracking. No manual IPD adjustment like the Rift S. $650

Vive Pro - An enterprise headset but simply too expensive for what is just a Vive with a higher resolution screen. $599 headset only.

Vive Cosmos - A very good headset except for its abysmal version of inside out tracking which makes it a terrible choice at its price range. $700

Pimax 5K+ - Sold as only a headset without the needed SteamVR lighthouses and controllers. 180 degree field of view, which can have serious warping for some, and a very high resolution. Best only for curious enthusiasts for now. $700 headset only.

Summary

All in all, Samsung Odyssey+ is the best budget option with a high res OLED screen, the Rift S is a balanced option with the sharpest screen (LCD) besides the Index, the Quest allows mobile play but its PC capabilities and comfort are limited because of compression and build, the Vive has the weakest display and controllers but is modular and so lets you upgrade it painlessly in the future, and the Index is the best VR headset available at the highest price and is also modular.

The Index has the highest framerate letting you choose from 80hz to 144hz, the Odyssey+ and the Vive run at 90hz, the Rift S runs at 80hz, and the Quest runs at 72hz, and frame rate can be a key factor in comfort. OLED screens have more vibrant colors but are typically less sharp than LCDs.

Controllers run from the Vive Wands as the worst to the Index Controllers as the best, and Alyx comes free with the Index headset or the Knuckles controllers. Tracking is best on the Index, then the Vive close behind, then the Rift S, then Quest, then Odyssey+.

TL;DR

Best Budget Option - Samsung Odyssey+ ($230)

If You Have to Have Mobile Use - Oculus Quest ($400)

Mid-range Option with a Sharp Screen - Oculus Rift S ($400)

Upgradable but Outdated - Used HTC Vive ($300-400)

Best in Class on All Fronts - Valve Index ($1000 Full Kit)

Do I need anything else to use VR?

Besides software like SteamVR, you don't need anything else to use VR. I would recommend getting any necessary comfort accessories for your headset, and a washable/wipeable face foam replacement from a company like VRcover for sanitary reasons. Oculus exclusive games can be played on other headsets with a plugin called Revive, at a slight performance penalty. Keep this in mind as well that if you buy software on the oculus store, even if the game is otherwise available for all headsets, it won't run natively on those headsets the way it would if you bought it from Steam, Epic, Viveport, Itch io, or Microsoft.

If this is your first desktop/gaming PC

If this will be your first desktop PC, I recommend getting your hands on a used recent desktop with an adequate CPU (because the CPU is often paired with a motherboard and more complicated to replace), and then upgrading the GPU and RAM yourself, and using an SSD instead of a Hard Drive (this makes the computer run like it's new and SSDs are much much faster than HDDs). If you absolutely have to get a pre built computer look closely at what components you're being sold and at what price, retailers very often give you mediocre CPUs or GPUs for high prices. If you are getting a pre built with older components, use (https://gpu.userbenchmark.com) to see how it compares against the GTX 1060 and the Core i5-7500, which are the listed minimum cards for Alyx (but officially replaced by new chips). Building your own PC is always a viable option and can be a lot more efficient, guides online can give you an idea if that is within your capabilities.

What games are there for VR besides Alyx?

Here is a list of VR Games that "hold up" in February 2020

A Glossary of VR and Requirements

Comfort - A function of frame rate, locomotion, and your "VRlegs." New players should take comfort very seriously as bad experiences in VR early on can physically discourage you from using VR in the future. If you feel sick, stop.
Locomotion - How you move around the game world. Teleporting is still considered the most comfortable means of movement in VR besides roomscale itself, while smooth locomotion is the most popular and lends itself the best to most immersive AAA games. Most games also have a variety of comfort settings like obscured view when moving. New players should play games with only room scale, then teleport, then smooth locomotion seated or with high comfort settings, then slowly work towards full smooth locomotion.
VRLegs -Your tolerance for VR and VR motion. it's important to pace yourself early on and gradually build up your tolerance for VR experiences. Alyx is designed with new players in mind, and will have multiple means of locomotion including teleport, dash, and smooth locomotion.
Roomscale - Physically moving your real body around in a room to move in VR.
Teleport - Aiming at another point in space and teleporting there. "Dash" is quickly sliding from one place to another using the same method.
Smooth Locomotion - Joystick movement. The most popular form of movement and allows the fastest and finest control in VR but requires the strongest VR legs.
CPU - Your processor. If your processor is underpowered or below spec it will slow the game down or prevent you from getting a sufficient frame rate. CPU load cannot be scaled up or down like GPU load often can.
GPU - Your graphics card. VR is demanding on a GPU but you can scale the GPU load up and down by adjusting resolution and graphics settings. VR is meant to run with super sampling, a higher resolution than your display, so games often have room to comfortably lower settings.
RAM - (Random Access Memory) Super fast memory that the PC uses to store information and sometimes graphical data to function, wiped when the computer turns off.
VRAM - Even faster memory the GPU uses to build scenes and render complex textures and meshes.
Frame Rate - How many frames of graphical information your eyes are getting about the world. In VR this is especially important as the world itself can feel less smooth, less real, and nauseating if the frame rate is too low; nearly all VR software is designed for 90fps. The frame rate of a headset's display, its "refresh rate" is measured in hz.
Six Degrees of Freedom - A VR system that tracks your position in space and controllers, as opposed to 3doF where you can only rotate your head in the game. Phone based VR and the Oculus Go are 3doF while the Quest and all PC VR headsets are 6doF.
Reprojection - When the computer cannot make enough frames the CPU fabricates game frames to prevent you from getting sick as you move your head. Very noticeable as you see double of objects and things generally feel less stable. Most common when settings are too high or something intensive is happening on screen like glass shattering or an close explosion.
Motion Smoothing - SteamVR has a second layer of reprojection where when the frame rate dips too much SteamVR switches to rendering half as many frames until the CPU can make the full amount. This can feel much more stable as the frame rate doesn't fluctuate (except between 50% or 100%) and can even be forced on if you want to try much higher settings than would otherwise work.
OLED - Pixels arranged in a "screen door" that can turn off individually allowing for extreme contrast in images and vibrant colors. Usually a dual subpixel arrangement, see below.
LCD - Pixels in a grid; usually with a "RGB 3 sub-pixel arrangement," which means they can appear sharper than OLED even at the same resolution. With new headsets they usually have other better features like fast pixel response times which prevent subtle smearing of the image as you move. They use a backlight which always means noticeably worse contrast than OLED.
Inter-Pupillary Distance (IPD) - The distance between your pupils. This is important because VR forms a 3D image out of two images, one on each display. You align the headset image to your IPD to bring it into focus.
Screen Door Effect - Term used for being able to discern individual pixels on a display. This was especially bad with the Rift and Vive because of their OLED screens hex pattern and the lower resolution. It is less of a problem with the Index and Rift S due to their LCD displays, which just have normal pixelation of far away objects.
Lighthouse tracking - SteamVR tracking features two "lighthouses" that fire a laser grid array. This is used by the Headset and controllers to understand where they are. This system provides the best tracking and allows for easily adding peripherals.
Inside out tracking - Cameras on the headset use Infrared light to see the controllers, and WMR and Oculus algorithms understand the position of the controllers. This system usually has a slightly faster setup from scratch and has improved over the last few years with Oculus's Rift S's tracking solution being the best inside out tracking.
Revive - A free open source tool allowing Facebook Oculus exclusive titles, and other software bought from the oculus store, to run on any headset. Very user friendly, with a slight performance penalty in the most demanding oculus software.
SteamVR Input Bindings - A tool within SteamVR that allows you to bind or rebind controls for any game for any controller. However, while many games are programmed to work with this system, older ones won't let you bind an action, just one button to another button, which can be an issue if multiple actions are tied to the button you are rebinding. Steam software often has community bindings available that you can select.
Boneworks - A very hyped and popular VR game released in December 2019. The main feature is an advanced physics system that allows the player to climb, break, stack, jump on, and otherwise manipulate objects and weapons to solve puzzles and engage in platforming in a full campaign. Although Boneworks was partly designed with the Index, the game only has cosmetic finger tracking and doesn't require Index controllers. The reason Boneworks is not recommended for beginners is the same reason its physics are likely more advanced than Alyx's, the player's body and even head camera are physics objects and so are constantly moved by your actions and the environment. Simple actions like climbing require strong VRlegs to perform.
VorpX - Paid software that allows non-VR games to run in VR. Still active and updated, it provides a somewhat complex means of making many games run in 3D windows, making others run in first person with natural head rotation, and some like New Vegas, Dishonored, and Bioshock Infinite run in full room scale. Games do not, however, gain VR controller support, needing a game pad or emulated game pad. Some games like GTA 5 are being given similar functionalities in open source projects without VorpX.
Wireless VR - The only official wireless solution for PC VR is the $300 Vive Wireless Adapter which is lauded as a highly effective solution with low latency due to its custom WiGig adapter. The only other means of wireless VR is to run a sideloaded app on the Oculus Quest, allowing a latency heavy and very compressed experience over a 5gz WiFi router.
Sideloading - Installing your own software on the Oculus Quest. This is done by registering as an organization in the quest's client app, and then moving your own files or using a program like SideQuest to get tech demos and even full games from that platform.
VRSS - Experimental NVIDIA feature, a form of Fixed Foveated Rendering, where the center of your view is rendered at a higher resolution than the rest of the image. NVIDIA says it boosts performance but tests have shown it to be unstable and actually lower performance under stress for now.