Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

MSI says it's the only brand offering VR-ready notebooks certified by Intel and HTC

By

msi ws60
Image used with permission by copyright holder
On Tuesday, computer manufacturer MSI claimed that it’s the only brand currently providing VR-capable notebooks that are certified by both Intel and HTC. The company also pointed out that it established a dedicated VR lab back in 2015 that not only works with “key VR players,” but also launched gaming notebook design and development programs to optimize VR devices. MSI will publicly make its VR certifications for its notebooks available as they’re received.

MSI currently lists five gaming laptops that are optimized for the HTC Vive: the GT725 6QF Dominator Pro G 29th Anniversary Edition, the GT725 6QF Dragon Edition G 29th Anniversary Edition, the GT725 6QF Dominator Pro G Heroes Special Edition, the GT80S 6QF Titan SLI 29th Anniversary Edition, and the GT80S 6QF Titan SLI Heroes Special Edition. The first three feature discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 GPUs, while the latter two have discrete GTX 980 GPUs in SLI mode.

For example, the GT725 6QF Dominator Pro G 29th Anniversary Edition comes packed with a sixth-generation Intel Core i7 processor, up to 64GB of DDR4-2133 memory, 8GB of GDDR5 video memory dedicated to the GPU, a 17.3-inch screen with Full HD or UHD resolutions, optional G-SYNC technology, a Blu-ray writer, a 2.5-inch hard drive, and built-in speakers and a woofer provided by Dynaudio. Other features include Wireless AC and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity, a USB 3.1 Type-C port, Thunderbolt 3 support, and more.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!
Privacy Policy

To give you an idea of what the HTC Vive requires, the minimum system specs include an Intel Core i5-4590, AMD FX 8350, or equivalent CPU; a Nvidia GeForce GTX 970, AMD Radeon R9 290, or equivalent GPU; 4GB of memory, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2 output, and Windows 7 SP1. Naturally, the better the hardware, the better the performance. The headset works well on Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, too.

Related: Get your hardware game ready, check out more from MSI here

On the Intel front, MSI offers several Intel-certified, VR-ready gaming notebooks, too. There are just two listed on Intel’s website: the GT725 Dominator Pro costing a hefty $3,100 and the MSI Workstation WT72 costing a heftier $5,000. Both come with Nvidia-based GPUs — the GeForce GTX 980 and the Quadro M5000M, respectively.

If you’re curious about the more expensive workstation, this beast has a 17.3-inch screen with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, a massive 32GB of DDR4-2133 memory, a quad-core Intel Xeon processor clocked at 2.8GHz, 1,256GB of storage spread across a hard drive and SSD, and a DVD drive. Other features include an SD card reader, Wireless AC and Bluetooth connectivity, Windows 10 Professional, and loads more.

“MSI believes that VR can change the way of gaming and will certainly play an important role in the future,” the company said on its blog on Tuesday. ‘As a market leader, MSI welcomes and encourages innovators to participate in the development process and to work together to further perfect this technology.”

Developers and manufacturers interested in jumping on board with MSI to move VR forward can head here to join its cooperation program.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Kevin Parrish
Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
HTC offers cheaper Vive Pro Eye bundles, expands eye-tracking in VR
HTC Vive Pro Eye virtual reality headset

HTC is expanding its push into enterprise virtual reality solutions by launching several new bundles in the Vive Pro Eye family. Both new bundles come packaged with HTC's Vive Pro Eye, which boasts to be the first virtual reality headset that comes with built-in eye tracking technology.

However, enterprise users who just want the VR headset without buying a bundle can grab the Vive Pro Eye at its new lower price of $1,399, HTC announced. This represents a savings of $200 from the original $1,599 price.

Read more
With new swappable faceplates, the Vive Cosmos is now a modular VR platform
HTC Vive Cosmos

After having debuted the HTC Cosmos late last year with an innovative flip-up display to switch between the virtual and real worlds, HTC is expanding its Vive Cosmos series in a surprising new way. Faceplates with different features that can be upgraded to or purchased with the Cosmos.

The star of the show remains the different experiences you gain when adding HTC's unique and modular faceplates. This allows users to grow with their Vive Cosmos investment by being able swap faceplates to gain new functionality in the future.

Read more
I fell out of love with VR, but the Vive Wireless rekindled the flame
Fallen out of love with VR? These HTC Vive accessories might change that
HTC Vive Wireless

Forgive me virtual reality fans, for I have sinned. It has been eight months since my last VR session. My faith in it as the future of gaming and connected entertainment has wavered. I've lost interest. I can't be bothered. My HTC Vive has languished on the floor under my desk, gathering dust and I barely noticed. Perhaps it's time that changed.
But what can a lapsed VR fanboy do to excite himself about virtual reality once again? I could buy a new headset. There are some exciting new options in the form of the Oculus Rift S and Quest, the HTC Vive Cosmos, and Valve's high-end Index.
But those are expensive, all-or-nothing options that do a disservice to the Vive I already own. It's hard to justify buying a whole new headset and any necessary sensors and controllers when I don't use the ones I have. Perhaps instead, some VR accessories and upgrades for my existing Vive could do the trick.
With that idea in mind, I reached out to HTC and was furnished with a number of intriguing options for a better HTC Vive experience. Can a few new toys and games kick-start my interest in virtual worlds ones again?

Falling out of love with VR
If you look back at my coverage of VR in the lead up to, and shortly after, the launch of the original HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, I was incensed. Excited. I was a true VR evangelist, sure that it would become a dominant new medium of entertainment enjoyed by gamers young and old within a year or two.
Having owned an Oculus Rift DK1 and DK2, and eventually the consumer release Vive and a Rift (I later sold the Oculus headsets), the progression I saw in just a few years was enormous. From static, seated experiences with no positional tracking, to motion controllers and roomscale experiences. I went from nausea-inducing, blocky roller-coaster rides to AAA experiences like Alien: Isolation and polished mini-game extravaganzas like Valve's The Lab.

Read more