For those who like to build as well as solve puzzles, Metanaut’s Gadgeteer is a great example of what can be achieved in virtual reality (VR). Since its launch late last year the studio has released several updates to improve the experience. Next week the largest update yet will arrive, adding new gadgets as well as a tool which can drop some colour into the title.
First up is the “Color Toolhead” which does exactly what it says. While the core mechanics of Gadgeteer allow you to create all sorts of crazy contraptions, they do look a little bland. That’s all going to change with the option to choose from 60+ colours to brighten up those machines.
“We trusted our gut and made the risky decision to develop a feature nobody asked for,” said Peter Kao, co-founder and CEO of Metanaut in a statement. “We saw passionate players build these incredible machines—but no matter how different they were mechanically, they all looked the same. We think the Color Toolhead is an important addition because it leads to our upcoming online sharing feature, allowing players to personalize their machines and discover unexpected machine types.”
In addition to the “Color Toolhead”, Metanaut will also introduce two new gadgets called “Start Cube” and “End Cube.” Allowing players to remotely start their machines the cubes are the first step towards puzzles that can be uploaded and shared in the upcoming online sharing feature.
The feature has been talked about since Gadgeteer‘s Early Access launch a year ago, so that players worldwide can showcase their designs to the community. The introduction of online sharing is expected to take place in August which is also slated to be a massive update, Metanaut is currently hoping to double the gadget count which already sits at over 50.
If you own Gadgeteer and are interested in testing the online sharing feature and playing with the new gadgets then the studio is running a closed beta which you can sign up here for.
Not tried Gadgeteer yet? Then take a look at VRFocus‘ review which said: “Gadgeteer isn’t going to be for everyone, much like being a watchmaker. It’s finicky, time-consuming and puzzling all at the same time. They’re also the reasons why Gadgeteer is a puzzle gem for Oculus Quest.”
To see the new update in action check out the video below. As for further updates, keep reading VRFocus.