VRMark Preview
More actions
| VRMark Preview | |
|---|---|
| |
| Information | |
| VR/AR | VR |
| Developer | Futuremark |
| Platform | 3DMark for Windows |
| Device | HTC Vive, Oculus Rift |
| Operating System | Windows |
| Type | DLC |
| Genre | Utilities |
| Input Device | Gamepad, Keyboard / Mouse |
| Language | English, Russian, Simplified Chinese, German |
| Release Date | 18 December 2015 (beta); 6 April 2016 (3DMark update) |
| Price | Free DLC; paid 3DMark required |
| App Store | Steam |
| Website | https://store.steampowered.com/app/428810/VRMark_Preview/ |
| Infobox Updated | 2026-10-13 |
VRMark Preview is an interactive VR App that Futuremark distributed within 3DMark for Windows while developing VRMark. It appeared in the Steam Holiday Beta in December 2015 and reached 3DMark Advanced and Professional Editions in April 2016. It let users explore test environments with a headset or monitor without generating a benchmark score.[1][2]
The Preview was distinct from standalone VRMark. Futuremark ended its recommendation and support in the 9 December 2016 3DMark update.[2]
Development and release history
Futuremark announced development of VRMark on 10 June 2015. Its proposed benchmark combined software and hardware to investigate VR performance, latency and sensor accuracy, with a development program for manufacturers and professional laboratory testing. These were aims for the wider VRMark project; the later public Preview was an interactive demonstration without a score.[3][1]
| Date | Release or change |
|---|---|
| 18 December 2015 (UTC) | The developer posted Holiday Beta access instructions for owners of paid 3DMark on Steam. This is also the release date recorded by the Preview's Steam listing.[4][5] |
| 21 December 2015 | Futuremark's website announced the Holiday Beta, describing one explorable VRMark environment containing four classic 3DMark scenes.[1] |
| 22 December 2015 | A beta update added Windows 7 operation with monitors and the Oculus Rift DK1 and Oculus Rift DK2.[4] |
| 14 January 2016 | An update added Xbox controller movement in both VR and monitor modes, restricted VR camera angle controls to yaw and added camera reset controls.[4] |
| 6 April 2016 | 3DMark v2.0.1979 added the two-scene Preview for Advanced and Professional Edition users. Basic Edition and the Steam demo did not include it.[2] |
| 3 November 2016 | Standalone VRMark launched as version 1.0.1227.[6] |
| 9 December 2016 | 3DMark v2.2.3488 marked the Preview as unsupported, moved it from the main navigation bar to the Benchmarks screen and added an uninstall button.[2] |
Features
Explorable scenes
The Holiday Beta let users move freely through one environment and examine its miniature 3DMark scenes. Futuremark described the Preview as entertainment and supported viewing with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or an ordinary monitor.[1] A contemporary firsthand account described a museum lobby with four glass displays:[7]
| Earlier 3DMark test | Scene shown in the Preview |
|---|---|
| 3DMark06 | Blizzard environment.[7] |
| 3DMark11 | Jungle environment.[7] |
| 3DMark11 | Submarine environment.[7] |
| Fire Strike | Fight sequence playing in miniature.[7] |
The April 2016 release allowed free exploration of two test scenes. Futuremark said Scene 1 was designed around the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive minimum specifications, while Scene 2 required more powerful hardware. Both could be viewed on a monitor. These descriptions express the developer's intended workloads; the Preview did not return a score or a scored assessment of a PC's VR readiness.[8]
Controls
The 14 January 2016 beta notes documented Xbox controller movement in VR and monitor modes. In VR, mouse and controller camera angle controls were limited to yaw, and the R key or controller X button reset the camera.[4]
Limits of the Preview
The public Preview demonstrated environments rather than measuring the full set of capabilities proposed for VRMark. Contemporary press coverage also discussed a separately supplied experimental latency-testing build and external measurement hardware. That press build should not be confused with the downloadable interactive Preview described in the same report.[7] The Preview's April release and the vendor's technical guide explicitly state that it did not produce a score.[9]
System requirements
Windows
Steam lists these legacy minimum requirements for the Preview.[5]
| Component | Listed minimum |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 |
| Processor | 1.8 GHz dual-core |
| Graphics | DirectX 11 |
| Memory with discrete graphics | 2 GB RAM and 1 GB video card memory |
| Memory with integrated graphics | 3 GB RAM |
| Storage | 6 GB free space |
The listing also notes that Steam's client requires Windows 10 or later from 1 January 2024.[5] The scene-specific workload distinction also matters: Futuremark described the second April 2016 scene as more demanding than the first.[8]
The initial beta notes recorded unsupported multi-GPU operation and failure on PCs set to a Turkish Windows locale.[4]
Setup instructions
Historical distribution
Holiday Beta access required paid Steam 3DMark ownership. Owners whose test DLC entitlement was missing needed a temporary Steam workaround before installing modules within 3DMark.[4]
The April 2016 update supported installing and updating individual tests on Steam and updating tests individually in standalone 3DMark Advanced Edition.[8] The vendor's technical guide likewise describes independent test installation and updates in Advanced and Professional Editions.[9]
Steam lists free DLC requiring 3DMark, with English, Russian, Simplified Chinese and German interfaces.[5] The Preview was excluded from the 2016 Basic Edition and Steam demo.[2]
Support status
Futuremark's December 2016 notice said the Preview could still be installed and run in 3DMark, but recommended the released VRMark instead.[2] The Steam listing inspected on 13 October 2026 also recommends the full VRMark.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "3DMark Holiday Beta adds VRMark Preview and new UI". Futuremark. 2015-12-21. https://aws.futuremark.com/jp/news/3dmark-holiday-beta-adds-vrmark-preview-and-new-ui. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "3DMark Windows application release notes". UL Benchmarks. 3DMark Windows v2.0.1979 and v2.2.3488. https://support.benchmarks.ul.com/support/solutions/articles/44001971281-3dmark-windows-application-release-notes. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ "Futuremark Begins Development of VR Benchmark". Futuremark. 2015-06-10. https://aws.futuremark.com/jp/news/futuremark-begins-development-of-vr-benchmark. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 UL_James (2015-12-18). "3DMark Holiday Beta - post feedback and problems here". 3DMark Steam Community. Initial post, updated 14 January 2016. https://steamcommunity.com/app/223850/discussions/0/494632506580290784/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "VRMark Preview". Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/app/428810/VRMark_Preview/?l=english. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ "VRMark application release notes". UL Benchmarks. VRMark v1.0.1227, 3 November 2016. https://support.benchmarks.ul.com/support/solutions/articles/44002270282-vrmark-application-release-notes. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Kevin Carbotte. "Futuremark's VRMark: First Look". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/vrmark-virtual-reality-benchmark-preview,30820.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "3DMark adds VRMark preview and new UI for Windows version". Futuremark. 2016-04-06. https://aws.futuremark.com/jp/news/3dmark-adds-vrmark-preview-and-new-ui-for-windows-version. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "3DMark Technical Guide" (PDF). UL. 2018-06-04. pp. 124, 128. https://pcper.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/c907-3dmark-technical-guide.pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-13.