Beloved PC gaming franchise 'Half-Life' is getting a VR revival, but buying a new setup will cost you at least $1,000
- "Half-Life: Alyx" is the first "Half-Life" game in more than 12 years, and it will only be playable in virtual reality.
- "Half-Life: Alyx" will require a high-end virtual reality headset, two motion controllers, and a decent gaming computer to run the game properly.
- Valve, the game's creator, released a $1,000 VR system called the Valve Index earlier this year, but "Half-Life: Alyx" will work with cheaper headsets too.
- Ultimately, if you don't already have a gaming computer at home, you'll need about $1,000 to play "Half-Life: Alyx" when it's released in March 2020.
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"Half-Life: Alyx" will revive one of the most beloved PC gaming franchises of all time in March 2020, but it will only be playable in virtual reality - a costly setback for "Half-Life" fans who haven't already invested in VR.
Like most blockbuster virtual reality games, "Half-Life: Alyx" will require a quality gaming PC along with a high-end VR headset. The computer provides the extra processing power needed to create realistic visuals in a full field of view around the player.
Valve, the company behind "Half-Life: Alyx," launched a new $1,000 VR system called the Valve Index earlier this year, which costs $1,000 for a VR headset, two controllers, and the two sensors needed for the headset to work. Anyone who owns the Valve Index headset or controllers will receive a free copy of "Half-Life: Alyx" when it's released in March 2020.
"Half-Life: Alyx" will work with less expensive VR headsets too, like the $400 Oculus Rift S and Windows Mixed-Reality headsets, which sell for as low as $250.
However, the PC required to play "Half-Life: Alyx" is the bigger investment.
Based on Valve's minimum requirements for "Half-Life: Alyx," building a new computer to play the game would cost at least $600, without factoring in the cost of a new monitor, keyboard, and mouse. The minimum requirements include:
- An Intel i5-7500 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 processor
- 12 GB RAM
- NVIDIA GTX 1060 or AMD RX 580 graphics card with at least 6 GB VRAM
If you're already a dedicated PC gamer you might already have a computer that meets the minimum requirements, but the high cost of entry for "Half-Life: Alyx," could make it difficult some fans from giving the game a shot. Here's hoping that virtual reality systems continue to get more affordable over time.