Many names are bombarding us with their virtual reality solutions, and although no single product is available in its final version yet, some very interesting questions have arisen, such as what tools will be used to evaluate performance for each one. That's when Futuremark steps in, announcing the development of VRMark, an advanced benchmarking package that will combine hardware and software to know the truth about each virtual headset.
Why Benchmarks Matter
The synthetic benchmarks never say the last word about a piece of hardware, but they are invaluable as reference. More than once, several companies tried to question the value of benchmarks (I still remember very well AMD defending the first generation of Bulldozer), but they ended up making fools of themselves. Without such references, a company can adopt the absurd stance of “my product is better than the competition's because I say so” and stagnate the development of its technology almost permanently, causing havoc in the market. Needless to say, benchmarks are not limited to software, and there are programs like web browsers that have benefited greatly from their own “war of numbers.”
The Challenge of Testing Virtual Reality
Now virtual reality is approaching, and it's a universe that combines both hardware and software. Of course, virtual headsets have detailed specifications and additional requirements, but they cannot be tested like a graphics card or a processor. New benchmarks are needed, and for that, nobody better than Futuremark, which revealed the existence of VRMark. At first, the use of VRMark will be limited to manufacturers and specialized press, but if virtual reality explodes as we all imagine, it will be a matter of time before there is a general consumer version. Performance, latency, and precision will be the three main elements in VRMark's evaluation, and for that, a combination of hardware and software will be applied, so that no aspect is ignored.
VRMark is already in development, and Futuremark anticipated that it will be ready this year, which is reasonable if we remember that the final editions of the most important virtual headsets aim for 2016 as their launch year. Unfortunately, it's too early for images or videos: VRMark is little more than an announcement, but it's one more entry to watch on our radar.
