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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland schools superintendent announces resignation ... Linn County officials oppose Douglas fir monument proposal ... Oregon insurers lose, hospitals win in Affordable Care Act fallout ... Ashland schools superintendent announces resignation ... Linn County officials oppose Douglas fir monument proposal ... Oregon insurers lose, hospitals win in Affordable Care Act fallout ... Oculus founder explains why Macs can’t do virtual reality (FB, AAPL) Comment By Kif Leswing MailTribune.com By Kif Leswing Posted Mar. 3, 2016 at 10:03 AM By Kif Leswing Posted Mar. 3, 2016 at 10:03 AM » Social News Robert Galbraith/Reuters Mac users won't be able to run Oculus Rift when the long-awaited virtual reality headset starts shipping later this month. Oculus Rift currently requires a connected Windows computer in order to work. When asked by GamerHubTV if Oculus will ever support Apple desktops, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey replied: "That is up to Apple. If they ever release a good computer, we will do it." He went on to explain: It just boils down to the fact that Apple just doesn’t prioritize high-end GPUs [graphics processors]. You can buy a $6000 Mac Pro with the top-of-the-line AMD Fire Pro D700s, and it still doesn’t match our recommended specs. If they prioritize higher-end GPUs, like they used to, for a while back in the day, we’d love to support Mac. But right now, there’s just not a single machine that supports it, so even if we can support it from the software side, there’s no audience that can run the vast majority of software out there. He is right: Apple does not put an emphasis on graphics card performance. Under the hood of most Macs are Intel microprocessors that feature integrated graphics capabilities, rather than standalone graphics processors that would provide more horsepower. For entry-level computers, this approach saves battery life and cost, and for most users, Intel's modern integrated graphics cards are good enough. But Oculus doesn't work with "good enough" hardware. The virtual reality technology that the Facebook subsidiary is developing requires quite a bit of computing horsepower, especially in its graphics card requirements . " Oculus ready " PCs start at $950, but they also require buyers to pay $600 for the Rift headset. The Mac Pro, Apple's single fastest computer, hasn't been updated since 2013. Other Macs, even pricey built-to-order models, use "mobile" graphics cards tuned for energy efficiency, not sheer power. So Oculus was forced to stop supporting OS X last May, and it sounds like that will be the case until Apple changes its approach to desktop graphics cards. Watch the whole video here: Youtube Embed: http://www.youtube.com/embed/ijyBMpm2bqQ Width: 576px Height: 328px NOW WATCH: John McAfee explains why an iPhone backdoor is a terrible idea See Also: We just found out what computer you�ll need for �Oculus Rift,� Facebook�s virtual reality headset � and it�s not cheap No, the Oculus Rift doesn't cost $600 � it costs much more than that There's one glaring problem with Oculus Rift's plan to conquer virtual reality SEE ALSO: I talked with Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey about working at Facebook, being worth $700 million at 23, and the future of virtual reality By Kif Leswing MailTribune.com By Kif Leswing Posted Mar. 3, 2016 at 10:03 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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