Using the new iMac 4K (top customized) for VR?

[Kibou]

Hi,

Today I have a pretty old iMac - the 21' 2011 model. Although I've upgraded the ram (to 20GB) and the hard-drive to 1TB SSD, I think that its time to upgrade the entire computer.

I'd like to purchase an iMac for development, especially for game dev with VR support, so the new iMacs came exactly in time.

However, I wonder if the 21' (top customizing options) will be satisfying for VR development? When searching this topic it seems like the 21' won't be able to do VR work, and even the 27' will be in the lower specs that HTC Vive or Oculus requires.

The money is not an issue, since I'm buying a computer for the long run, however I do want to get a computer that'll be able to survive at least few years. In addition, the 27' display is too big for me and therefore I'd like to get the 21'..

So my question is - is the following iMac specs will be satisfying for VR gaming & game dev?

Thanks in advance!

 

[camresu]

Hi,

Today I have a pretty old iMac - the 21' 2011 model. Although I've upgraded the ram (to 20GB) and the hard-drive to 1TB SSD, I think that its time to upgrade the entire computer.

I'd like to purchase an iMac for development, especially for game dev with VR support, so the new iMacs came exactly in time.

However, I wonder if the 21' (top customizing options) will be satisfying for VR development? When searching this topic it seems like the 21' won't be able to do VR work, and even the 27' will be in the lower specs that HTC Vive or Oculus requires.

The money is not an issue, since I'm buying a computer for the long run, however I do want to get a computer that'll be able to survive at least few years. In addition, the 27' display is too big for me and therefore I'd like to get the 21'..

So my question is - is the following iMac specs will be satisfying for VR gaming & game dev?

Thanks in advance!

Word on the street is that the internal graphics that officially support VR development is the 8GB Radeon Pro 580. That said, you will have the option of connecting an external GPU that would be considerably more powerful than the internal offering. Mac OS High Sierra will allow you to connect a monster external GPU via Thunderbolt 3. My guess is that will be the only way to get the 21" and develop VR/AR with necessary performance.

Apple is already offering their own solution for developers, but undoubtedly there will be many offerings from 3rd party manufacturers or you will be able to build your own!
http://appleinsider.com/articles/17...developers-kit-for-the-macos-high-sierra-beta

 

[paulryp]

Yeah, I'm going for the top spec 21" iMac with the option to add external Graphics in a few months. Only problem is the external enclosure will cost £286.20 (inc VAT) and add the cost of a card on top of that, but at least i don't have to obsolete my iMac every 3 years.