Nvidia is set to unveil the RTX 5060 Ti this week, followed by the release of the RTX 5060 in May.
These cost-effective graphics cards are considerably less powerful than the RTX 5070, which was released by Nvidia earlier this year. However, they come in at a lower price point, offering savings of up to $150, and they are also designed to consume less power.
| CUDA Cores | VRAM | Bus Width | TDP | MSRP | |
| RTX 5060 | 3840 | 8GB GDDR7 | 128-bit | 145W | $300 |
| RTX 5060 Ti | 4608 | 8GB/16GB GDDR7 | 128-bit | 180W | $380/$430 |
| RTX 5070 | 6144 | 12GB GDDR7 | 192-bit | 250W | $550 |
The RTX 5060 is priced at $300 and comes with 8GB of VRAM. The RTX 5060 Ti will be available in two configurations: $380 with 8GB of VRAM or $430 with 16GB of VRAM.
Like other models in the RTX 50-series lineup, both the RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti utilize Nvidia’s innovative Blackwell architecture and are equipped with GDDR7 VRAM, boasting 33% quicker memory bandwidth when compared to GDDR6X. Additionally, they support DLSS 4 equipped with Multi Frame Generation, although it’s important to note that this feature isn’t optimized for VR.
The RTX 50 series has added compatibility for 4:2:2 color encoding for standalone VR headsets that connect to PC VR via compressed streaming. Should future VR devices adopt this standard, users can expect a richer image quality compared to the current 4:2:0 compression utilized in present-day VR streaming.
Retailing at $300, the RTX 5060 offers performance comparable to the RTX 2080 from 2018, a graphics card that cost over twice as much and was well-suited for running games like Half-Life: Alyx.
For those aiming to experience racing or flight simulators in VR, enhance visuals in cross-platform VR games, or operate a high-resolution headset, it is highly recommended to consider upgrading to one of Nvidia’s premium offerings, such as the RTX 5080 or RTX 5090.
However, for individuals on a strict budget looking to enjoy titles like Half-Life: Alyx or Skyrim VR via Quest or PlayStation VR2, the RTX 5060 series presents an appealing option for venturing into PC VR.
The RTX 5060 is slated for release in May, while the RTX 5060 Ti will be available tomorrow.