A man playing with VR.

This Budget $27 VR Gaming Set Up Actually Works

Think you need to spend $500+ to experience VR on your PC? Think again.  This dude spent $27 on his VR setup and… it actually works.

RandomGaminginHD is a budget-conscious YouTuber after my own heart.  We’ve written about a previous video where he bought a “trash” graphics card for $1.55 that could play Bioshock: Infinite.  Incredible.

This time, RandomGaminginHD has turned his attention to VR gaming.  VR gaming has a high barrier to entry, requiring a beastly PC or PS4, plus the expensive VR headsets that make the magic happen.

Needless to say, those without a budget need not apply.  Or, should they?

Check this out:

For the princely sum of $10, RandomGaminginHD picked up a cardboard VR viewer, intended for mobile gamers to play basic VR experiences.  To take things to the next level, he picked up VRidge by RiftCat, a PC program and Android app for 15 euros (approx $17).

Watching RandomGaminginHD have a ton of fun with his budget build reminded me of my first experience with my cousin’s VR (spoiler: it blew my mind).  He explores a cafe, jumps from a plane and races (well, crashes) around a racetrack.  It’s the joy that really drives home how awesome this budget build really is.

Not convinced?  VRidge comes with a free trial, allowing 10 minute gaming sessions.  If you love it, buy it – it’s as simple as that.  For the grand total of $27, VR gaming has never been more affordable.

Yes, you’ll need the phone and the PC to make this work, but most phones have the gyroscope required to make it worth trying, and RandomGaminginHD is modest, featuring an Intel i3 6100 processor, Nvidia GTX 950 graphics card and 8GB RAM.

If you don’t like this budget solution and cannot afford the real deal, check out head tracking – it’s a cheap alternative to VR gaming and it’s pretty cool.

Sadly, my budget-minded approach also stretches to my phone and my ancient Blackberry Z10 doesn’t have a gyroscope.  Bummer.