The best VR laptops: these notebooks are ready for the Rift

PRICE
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
A gamer using a VR headset hooked up to a laptop

If you have one of the best VR laptops at your disposal, you can explore virtual worlds to your heart's content. Similar to some of the best gaming PCs, you have more options for VR gaming thanks to the VR capabilities of some of the best gaming laptops.

There are a number of headsets out there that you can pair with one of these laptops, such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Playstation VR with Valve Index more recently joining them. They can bring all sorts of virtual realities to life. And, with one of these VR capable portables, you can get your VR gaming on no matter where you are.

Just know that the best VR notebooks are going to be on the pricey side. After all, new technology is always going to be a bit more expensive before it goes mainstream. Additionally, you’ll need to factor in the price of a headset. To get the PlayStation VR Iron Man VR Bundle will cost you $350 (about £270, AU$500) and VR gaming on PC costs even more. Take the Oculus Rift S headset, which goes for $399 (£399, about AU$600), or the HTC Vive Cosmos, which will set you back a hefty $699 (£699, about AU$995). 

Prices will eventually come down as the technology bends to the will of Moore's Law, and VR-ready laptops and gadgets will be accessible to more people. But, if you want to step into the portable virtual reality world now, the best VR laptops are worth the investment.

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MSI GS65 Stealth

(Image credit: Future)

1. MSI GS65 Stealth

The ultimate crowd pleaser gaming laptop

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX1060 – GTX 1070 Max-Q
RAM: 16GB – 32GB DDR4
Screen: 15.6-inch FHD 1920x1080
Storage: 256GB – 1TB SSD

Reasons to buy

+
Gorgeous, fast display
+
Excellent performance
+
Effective internal thermal management

Reasons to avoid

-
Underside gets burning hot
-
Poor native audio

One of the most impressive Nvidia Max-Q gaming laptops we’ve tested to date, the MSI GS65 Stealth tops our list as it outclasses most of its rivals as far as performance, looking good and classy doing so with its thin and sleek chassis. Of course, it’s VR ready as well, topping our list of the best VR laptops in 2019. It’s not faultless – the audio could be better, as could its heat management – but it more than makes up for those in power and aesthetic.

Read the full review: MSI GS65 Stealth

Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701

(Image credit: Future)

2. Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701

Slim, light and packed with power

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060
RAM: Up to 32GB
Screen: 17.3-inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS-level panel
Storage: 512GB / 1TB SSD

Reasons to buy

+
Brilliant performance
+
Gorgeous design
+
Fantastic 17-inch screen

Reasons to avoid

-
Very expensive
-
Short battery life

The Asus ROG Zephyrus GX701 is one of the most powerful thin and light gaming laptops right now, boasting a 9th-generation i7 chip, Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics and 16GB RAM in its 0.7-inch thick chassis. That will get you through most powerful VR games, and the only thing that’ll be breaking a sweat is you. Its svelte design will let you squeeze in some gaming discreetly at a cafe, if you turn down the RGB lighting, though you might want to play some non-VR stuff then.

Read the full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701

Razer Blade 2019

(Image credit: Future)

3. Razer Blade 2019

The sharpest Blade yet

Specifications

CPU: Up to 9th Gen Intel Core i7
Graphics: Up to GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
RAM: 16GB
Screen: Up to 240Hz Full HD or OLED 4K Touch
Storage: 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent gaming performance
+
Huge battery life improvement
+
Windows Hello camera included

Reasons to avoid

-
Awfully expensive
-
Somewhat goofy keyboard layout

The Razer Blade 2019 is sharper than ever, touting powerful innards that will get you through the most demanding games, with the advanced model breezing through your favorite VR games. It comes with a much improved battery life as well, not to mention the Windows Hello camera that was missing in its previous version. All that power and frills come with a high price tag, but with a gaming laptop this intense, you’ll be more than satisfied with your albeit lofty purchase, which is why this is high on our best VR laptops list.

Read the full review: Razer Blade 2019

MSI GT75VR Titan

(Image credit: Future)

4. MSI GT75VR Titan

Thicc and powerful

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700HQ – i7-7820HK
Graphics: up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080
RAM: up to 64GB
Screen: 17.3-inch FHD 1,920 x 1,080 – UHD 3,840 x 2,160
Storage: 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD – 512GB SSD + 1TB HDD

Reasons to buy

+
Extreme Intel Core i9 performance
+
Superior mechanical keyboard
+
120Hz monitor

Reasons to avoid

-
Runs hot under load
-
Little to no battery life

The MSI GT75 Titan is already an incredible gaming laptop, so much so that we gave it high marks on our review. Yet this gaming desktop replacement also boasts a few VR models, taking gaming to the next level and you through the most demanding and best VR games without much effort. This isn’t something you’d carry with you to work or when traveling, as it is thick and hardly portable. Plus, the price tag is pretty steep. But if you want one of the best VR laptops on your desk, this one’s a win.

Read the full review: MSI GT75VR Titan

Alienware 17 R5

(Image credit: Future)

5. Alienware 17 R5

Overwhelmingly powerful

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070
RAM: up to 32GB
Screen: 17.3-inch QHD (2,560 x 1,440) – UHD (3,840 x 2,160)
Storage: up to 1TB SSD + 1TB HDD

Reasons to buy

+
Amazing graphical performance
+
Surprisingly decent battery life
+
Immaculate 17-inch display

Reasons to avoid

-
Tobii eye-tracking with high-res display only
-
Weighs nearly 10 pounds

The Alienware 17 R5 is designed to delve into virtual reality experiences, though considering how powerful it is – with an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 chip, Nvidia GTX 1070 and up to 32GB of memory, it can handle whatever demanding game you throw at it. Couple those internals with a decent battery life and a stunner of a display, and this is without a doubt one of the best VR laptops money can buy.

Read the full review: Alienware 17 R5

Asus ROG G703GI

(Image credit: Future)

6. Asus ROG G703GI

An absolute beast

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H – i9-8950HK
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080
RAM: Up to 64GB
Screen: 17.3-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS-level panel
Storage: 256GB / 512GB SSD + 2TB / 1TB HDD

Reasons to buy

+
Fantastic gaming performance
+
High-end components
+
Great keyboard

Reasons to avoid

-
Very expensive
-
Short battery life

The VR-ready Asus ROG G703GI is easily one of the most powerful gaming laptops we’ve ever tested, so it makes sense for it to make our best VR laptops list as well. Playing your favorite processor-hungry, graphics-intensive games on it at the highest settings – VR or not, and you’ll feel like a pro. Just be ready to shell out a bit of cash and have that charger handy at all times, as it is expensive and not very energy-efficient.

Read the full review: Asus ROG G703GI

Origin EON17-SLX

7. Origin EON17-SLX

This powerhouse won't have any troubles handling VR

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i5-6700K – i7-8700K
Graphics: Single NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 – Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080
RAM: up to 64GB
Screen: 17.3-inch FHD 1,920 x 1,080 – QFHD 3,840 x 2,160 IPS G-SYNC
Storage: up to 2 x HDD/SSD + 2 x m.2 SSD SATA/PCIe

Reasons to buy

+
Desktop GPU with plenty of video RAM

Reasons to avoid

-
Weighs 10.5 pounds
-
Another battery guzzler

The Origin EON17-SLX has room to breath when it comes to powering a VR headset. Inside the EON17-SLX is a desktop-grade GeForce GTX 1070 chip with 8GB of VRAM and one of Intel's new Skylake processors, the i5-6700K, running at 4GHz, to start. The laptop made mincemeat of our benchmarking tests, running GTA 5 on Ultra at a respectable 41 fps at 1080p. However, all that power comes with great responsibility, and in this case, you'll be responsible for not using it more than 2 hours without plugging it in. The virtual reality dream can be experienced away from home, just not for very long.

Read the full review: Origin EON17-SLX

MSI GT73VR Titan Pro

(Image credit: Future)

8. MSI GT73VR Titan Pro

Portable gaming station could replace your desktop

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700HQ – i7-7820HK
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080
RAM: up to 32GB
Screen: 17.3-inch FHD 1,920 x 1,080 – UHD 3,840 x 2,160
Storage: 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD – 1TB SSD + 1TB HDD

Reasons to buy

+
As powerful as they come
+
Silky smooth 120Hz display
+
Blazing fast

Reasons to avoid

-
As expensive as they come
-
Painfully short charging cable

Also available with a 4K display, the portable powerhouse that is MSI GT3VR Titan Pro is indeed worthy of its moniker, a place in our best VR laptops list and as a gaming desktop replacement. There are many things to love on here: the gorgeous 120Hz screen, the premium programmable keyboard and the immersive attempts they made on those speakers. Plus, even if you’re not a fan of that gaming look, you’ll find its design quite appealing. All those add up to the perfect candidate for the best VR laptop, if you’re willing to splurge.

Read the full review: MSI GT73VR Titan Pro

9. Aorus X9

The most powerful desktop replacement

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-7820HK
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070
RAM: Up to 64GB
Screen: 17.3-inch QHD 2,560 x 1,440 – UHD 3,840 x 2,160 IPS Anti-Glare
Storage: Up to 2X PCI-E Gen 3 NVMe SSDs + 2TB HDD

Reasons to buy

+
Unbeatable graphical performance
+
Perfectly calibrated Pantone-certified display
+
The best cooling system we’ve ever seen

Reasons to avoid

-
Practically non-existent battery life
-
Awful trackpad

The Aorus X9 has a few accolades under its belt. At the time of its release, it was the world's thinnest Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 laptop and the world's thinnest chassis with true laptop mechanical switches, not to mention the world’s first 17.3” laptop boasting quad fans. Accolades aside, it also offers uncompromising power in an ultra-thin body, allowing you to play any hardcore gaming without blinking. This is definitely one of the best VR laptops on the market today.

Read the full review: Aorus X9

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