The latest macOS Receives VR and External GPU Support

STATES CHRONICLE – Apple has made plenty of announcements on WWDC 2017, including a new iMac Pro and the introduction of Amazon Prime Video on Apple TV. However, the biggest surprise came for gamers, who have been waiting for quite a long time for Macs to run games properly. The new version of macOS will support VR technology, as well as an external GPU.

VR technology comes on macOS

The latest version of macOS, called High Sierra, will finally make virtual reality available for Mac users. Support will be offered by SteamVR, which is already available in a beta version. However, this service is available only on macOS newer than 10.11.6, with Metal graphical support.

So far, Apple mentioned HTC Vive as the only headset which will support SteamVR on macOS. They said nothing about the Oculus Rift, so it is not clear yet if this VR headset will be paired up with SteamVR in the future.

The graphical power is also enhanced by external GPU support

This is a huge progress made by Apple for gaming on Mac. Until now, VR on this operating system was available only if the user booted the macOS into Windows. This will no longer be the case on High Sierra, and Apple brought a solution to another problem that has always plagued this operating system, namely graphical power.

An update to Metal 2 graphics, as well as a Thunderbolt 3 port, will bring an external GPU support which boosts the graphic capabilities of the OS. This will work at the same time with the VR support, to help macOS deal with the graphical power requirements of this technology.

This kit will be available for $599, and it comes with some offerings. Anybody who purchases the kit gets $100 off if they also buy an HTC Vive, which usually comes for a price within the range of $800 and $900. Apple made a clever attempt to embrace VR technology as well, and prevent PCs from further owning the monopoly.
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