If you’re looking for unique and unusual virtual reality (VR) content at the moment then Tender Claws’ The Under Presents for Oculus Quest and Rift is a good place to start. Those who already enjoy The Under Presents should be glad to hear the live actors feature is being extended whilst other PC VR headsets are getting support on Steam later this month.
When Tender Claws initially launched The Under Presents for Oculus Quest back in November it brought with it a rather unusual feature, chance encounters with live actors. The studio partnered with Piehole, a New York-based experimental theatre collective with a plan to provide these live acts for four months, finishing at the end of March.
Due to the current pandemic and everyone staying indoors looking for things to occupy their time, you’ll be able to spot the live actors in The Under Presents until the end of May. These will still be chance encounters to encourage you to pop back, happening between 8am to 10pm PST (4pm to 6am BST). The studio notes that: “All of the actors are comfortably working from home.” As The Under Presents is theatrical in nature there will also be scheduled variety shows which will be revealed via the Tender Claws website.
As for Steam support, The Under Presents will be coming to the platform on 16th April. This will add compatibility for both HTC Vive and Valve Index.
The Under Presents offers both single-player narrative and multiplayer social experiences in one, where the hub is set in a surreal-looking theatre. In this space, players can interact with one another and view live and pre-recorded performances. When they find the photobooth they’ll be able to step into a solo campaign called Timeboat!, set on The Aickman, a doomed research vessel trapped in Arctic ice. Using time manipulation players have to save the characters and unravel the mysteries of the ship.
Check out the video below with the actors who perform in the VR experience. VRFocus will continue its coverage of The Under Presents, reporting back with further updates to the content lineup.