• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

AMD Offers Cheaper Chips to Cut Price of VR Gear

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
June 1, 2016, 8:57 AM ET
General Views Inside Computex 2014
Visitors walk past the Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) booth at the Computex Taipei 2014 expo at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei, Taiwan, on Tuesday, June 3, 2014. Computex runs through to June 7. Photographer: Chris Stowers/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by Chris Stowers — Bloomberg/Getty Images

Advanced Micro Devices unveiled a new line of graphics chips to power virtual reality software at a price that could bring the nascent technology within reach of more people.

But because graphics chips are only one component in the high-cost personal computers needed to run current cutting-edge VR gear from Facebook’s (FB) Oculus, HTC, and others, AMD’s cheaper offering won’t be enough by itself to make such a setup attractive to a mass market.

AMD’s (AMD) new Polaris line of chips will allow gamers and others desiring to add VR capability to their computers to purchase the required graphics for under $200, about half what such cards cost today. But that will bring down the price of an entry-level PC suitable for virtual reality only from about $1,000 to $800. And that doesn’t include the price of the VR gear—an Oculus Rift setup costs another $600, for example.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

The Polaris-based graphics card, announced Wednesday at the Computex show in Taiwan, may also to regular PC gamers looking for better performance at a modest price. AMD’s larger competitor, Nvidia (NVDA), released new high-end chips at Computex that will be included in graphics cards that cost $400 and up.

Virtual reality is one of the newer markets that AMD has been targeting as basic PC sales have sunk in recent years. So far, the company’s biggest gains among the new areas have come from sales of chips aimed at servers. Shares of AMD, which have leapt 59% this year, gained 2% in premarket trading Wednesday.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.