I settled on the HTC Vive as my VR Platform of choice after a really compelling demo at the MAXON US Offices. I put in my order, and expect my Vive to arrive in just a couple days. At the moment, I’m using a 2013 MacBook Pro – which just doesn’t have the horsepower to drive the Oculus or Vive. Which means, I need to drop MacOS and get a Windows PC. I love the form-factor, weight, and build-quality of my Macbook and that I don’t have to juggle work between a desktop and a laptop when I want to move from home to a cafe or to teach on-site.
Options
- Keep my MacBook and get a Desktop for VR development.
- Get a Razer Blade laptop with a semi-permanent external graphics card enclosure.
- Get a comically large laptop with a built-in desktop GPU.
| Mac + Desktop | Razer Blade + Razer Core | Giant Laptop | |
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| Overall | Low startup costs, upgradable, and best VR workflow. VR development only happens at my home office, and my laptop will slowly gather dust. | If the kinks in the VR workflow get ironed out, this is probably the best option moving forward – but it means I’ll be buying a new laptop every 2 years instead of every 3-5. | This is a laptop in name only. The weight and battery life is such that I would be unlikely to take it with me, and that I would be forced to drive rather than walk a few miles w/ it strapped to my back. |
Conclusion
There aren’t any good and portable laptops for VR at the moment – so give up on the belief that it should be possible right now. Buy or build an inexpensive desktop that meets the needs of the HTC Vive & Oculus Rift. Once the dust in the marketplace settles a bit, upgrade that desktop as needed and buy a laptop once a VR-Capable laptop is available and portable.