Apple finally supports PC VR Headset using the new iMac and SteamVR

Since the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift introduced headsets in 2016, Windows-based desktops and laptops have been the exclusive platforms for PC virtual reality applications and games. Today, Apple is refreshing some Macs equipped with hardware and will eventually be able to support VR headsets and applications for the first time.

The updated version of the iMac all-in-one computer that will be sold today will include a 21.5-inch model Retina 4K display and an AMD Radeon Pro 555 or 560 graphics card. The 27-inch Retina 5K iMac will have a more powerful AMD Radeon Pro 570, 575 or 580 graphics chip and up to 8 GB of VRAM. Both will have Intel's latest seventh-generation Kaby Lake processor. The price of these personal computers will start from $1,299.

Apple revealed these new iMacs at a keynote address at the WWDC 2017 Developer Conference today. It also shows a demonstration of one of these new iMacs using the HTC Vive headset, running the content of the ILM and Unity engines. The next major upcoming update of MacOS, High Sierra will support SteamVR for use with Vive headsets. Apple also plans to release a VR development kit in the Thunderbolt 3 chassis with AMD Radeon RX 580 GPUs. It will allow older Macs and MacBooks to run VR headsets and applications. The price point and release date of this developer chassis have not been announced.

Finally, Apple plans to launch the iMac Pro, which will have more power to run VR applications. It will include an Intel 8-core or 16-core Xeon processor, a 27-inch 5K display and an AMD Radeon Vega graphics GPU with up to 16 GB of VRAM. However, you must wait for a while to master it. It will not start selling at some point in December, starting at $4,999.