We already knew VR will be a demanding proposition- after all, generating a high fidelity image like that would require some serious muscle power. At CES today, Nvidia announced the GeForce GTX VR Ready program, designed to allow consumers to “instantly identify VR capable PCs, notebooks and add-in cards through a GeForce GTX VR Ready badge.” The minimum threshold to be able to run VR? A GTX 970, apparently.

“For customers, navigating an emerging technology like VR can be daunting,” said Jason Paul, general manager of emerging technologies at Nvidia. “We’re working with trusted partners worldwide to simplify the buying process with a GeForce GTX VR Ready badge that will let customers quickly identify PCs or add-in cards that are capable of handling the demands of VR.”

The minimum specs you would need alongside a GTX 970 are:

• a PC with USB 3.0 support
• CPU: Intel Core i5- 4590 equivalent or greater CPU
• 8GB+ RAM of Memory/RAM
• 2x USB 3.0 ports and HDMI 1.3
• Windows

If you are running a laptop, you will need a GTX 980 at minimum. These specs will ensure your computer has the power required to be able to push two high resolution images at 90 frames per second, or higher.

I imagine most people serious about PC gaming – the people who would be interested in VR in the first place – already have high end graphics cards and well specc’d machines, so they don’t need to worry about this. Still, though, it’s good to have some benchmarks.

Getting the latest major AAA PC release for free when you get a high end Nvidia graphics card is a long running tradition, and it will continue into this summer as well- possibly two of the biggest games of the year will be free for you on PC if you purchase an Nvidia GTX 970 or GTX 980. The witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Batman: Arkham Knight will be made available to you for free upon purchase of Nvidia’s flagship graphic cards.

To be clear, you get both games for free, as long as you purchase one of those cards. So that’s actually a very good deal, and should compel those of you who have been waiting on upgrading to do so now.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt launches later this month, while Batman: Arkham Knight launches next month. Both games are available on PS4 and Xbox One in addition to PC, but are enhanced on PC by Nvidia GameWorks, providing increased fidelity, realism, and immersion.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage and information.