The Blue Room benchmark is a more demanding test with a greater level of detail that requires more powerful hardware. This makes it the ideal benchmark for comparing high-end systems that are limited to 90 FPS when running the Orange Room benchmark in HMD mode. 

The Blue Room shows the amount of detail that may be common in future VR games. A PC that passes this test will be able to run the latest VR games on the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift at the highest settings, and may even be VR-ready for the next generation of VR headsets.

Benchmarking on your desktop

By default, the benchmark runs on your monitor. To pass the test, your PC has to maintain a consistent frame rate of 109 FPS or above without dropping frames.

Benchmarking with a connected HMD

You can choose to run the test on a connected HMD from the Options screen. Some VR headsets, such as the Oculus Rift, detect whether the headset is being worn. You will need to cover the proximity sensor with your finger or tape. Or you can place the headset on your forehead rather than over your eyes. The target frame rate is 88.9 FPS when an HMD is connected. 

VRMark benchmark tests use an animated camera. For your comfort, please take off your headset while the test is running.

Target frame rate

The target frame rate for the Blue Room benchmark when running in HMD mode is 88.9 FPS, slightly lower than the 90 Hz refresh rate of HTC Vive and Oculus Rift to allow for occasionally missed frames.

On the desktop, the same workload running on the same hardware achieves a consistent average frame rate of 109 FPS. The difference is explained by VR SDK overhead and the HMD refresh rate, as covered in the Target Frame Rate section of this guide.

Custom runs

You can change the rendering resolution and other settings on the Custom run screen. The settings you choose apply to Benchmark and Experience modes. 

Making the scene more or less demanding with custom settings, then running Experience mode on an HMD is a great way to see how system performance affects your personal VR experience.