Hardware — Development Specifications
Hardware the studio needs to build characters, as of 19 September 2026. Every item is currently shipping unless marked near release or defer. Prices and the buying schedule are in Hardware — Price List and Acquisition Schedule.
Market conditions (read before buying)
- Memory and GPU shortage. AI data-center demand has pushed consumer prices far above launch levels. In September 2026 an RTX 5090 (launched at $1,999) sells for about $4,300 in-store and $6,400+ online; an RTX 5080 ($999 launch) sells for about $1,300–1,600. DDR5 64 GB kits are about $889 and 128 GB kits about $2,339. Analysts do not expect relief before 2028.
- Consequences for Augmented Traveler:
- Standardize on RTX 5080 + 64 GB for most seats; buy one RTX 5090 hero machine for the character artist.
- Buy each machine when its person is hired, not all at once. Prices are volatile in both directions.
- Use cloud GPU workstations for short spikes (capture solves, test builds) instead of buying extra machines.
- Consider a builder with a warranty (e.g. Puget Systems, whose 2026 Unreal "Game Artist" configuration is Core Ultra 9 285K + RTX 5080 + 96 GB) over self-built machines.
Workstations
| Class | Spec | Who | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (Windows) | Intel Core Ultra 9 285K or AMD Ryzen 9 9950X · RTX 5080 16 GB · 64 GB DDR5 · 2 TB OS NVMe + 4 TB project NVMe · 1000 W PSU · Windows 11 Pro | TD, AI engineer, Unreal engineer, environment artist | Unreal 5.8 editing, builds, Quest/Android packaging, local LLM tests |
| Standard+ (animation) | As Standard, 96–128 GB RAM | Technical animator | MetaHuman Animator solves (body solve is Windows-only), Maya |
| Hero (Windows) | Same CPU class · RTX 5090 32 GB · 128 GB DDR5 · 2 + 4 TB NVMe | Character artist | MetaHuman Cine assemblies, strand grooms, Lumen/MegaLights look-dev, Mesh to MetaHuman |
| Mac (Apple silicon) | Mac Studio M5 Max (shipping 22 Sept 2026; base $2,499) with 64 GB and 1 TB | XR / mobile AR engineer | Required by Xcode for iOS and visionOS builds; USD and Reality Composer Pro |
| Build/storage | NAS with about 40 TB usable (RAID), 10 GbE switch, UPS | Studio | Perforce/Git LFS depot, capture archives, versioned corpora |
Monitors: one 27–32 inch per seat; color-accurate (wide-gamut, calibrated) for art seats.
Capture
| Item | Spec | Why |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro (released 18 Sept 2026, TrueDepth + LiDAR) | 256 GB | Live Link Face and MetaHuman Animator face capture; iOS AR reference device |
| Rokoko Full Performance Capture bundle | Smartsuit Pro II + Smartgloves + Headcam (MetaHuman Animator compatible) or iPhone Headrig + Studio Pro, 1 year | Owned inertial body/finger/face capture for on-island sessions and pickups |
| Mono camera kit | Good webcam or mirrorless camera + lighting | MetaHuman Animator 5.8 single-camera body + face capture for previs and gesture library |
| Optical stage (rent) | 1–2 days at a Boston/NYC stage | Hero monologue body performance |
| Voice studio (rent) | Treated booth + engineer | Voice bible and monologues |
| Photogrammetry kit (optional) | Existing camera + turntable + lights | Props and costume references, with partner permission |
Test devices
| Device | Status (Sept 2026) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Quest 3 512 GB | Shipping ($600 since April 2026 price rise) | Primary VR target |
| Meta Quest 3S 128 GB | Shipping ($350) | Low-end VR target |
| Google Pixel 11 | Shipping (Aug 2026, from $899) | ARCore reference |
| Mid-range ARCore Android | Shipping | Real-world tourist phone; sunlight and heat tests |
| Older supported iPhone (used) | — | Low-end iOS target |
| HTC Vive Focus Vision Business | Shipping ($1,649; wired bundle $1,799) | Optional: enterprise warranty, PC-VR over DisplayPort |
| Apple Vision Pro (M5) | Shipping ($3,699 since June 2026) | Optional: donor and press demo |
| Samsung Galaxy XR | Shipping ($1,799) | Defer to 2027 |
Near release / watch
- Quest 4: rumored, not announced. Do not wait for it; builds stay on OpenXR.
- Android XR glasses (XREAL Project Aura, Samsung): promised for late 2026, no firm dates.
- Mac Studio M5 Ultra 512 GB: late October 2026. Not needed.
- RTX 60-series: reported delayed to 2028.
Sources: Sources — 2026-09-19