One of the most prolific modders in the virtual reality (VR) scene is Luke Ross who’s created PC VR mods for videogames like GTA V, Cyberpunk 2077and now From Software’s Elden Ring. The epic adventure has now got the R.E.A.L VR Mod treatment meaning PC owners can now grab their VR headsets and truly step into the Lands Between.
Initially teased in April, the mod went live a few days ago and like all of Ross’ previous projects, you’ll need to signup and be a member of his Patreon page ($10 USD/ £8 GBP per month) to access the files. Bear in mind that this is still an early version of the mod so the features are limited in comparison to Ross’ other projects.
What you get is the ability to play Elden Ring in first person, with the ability to switch to third-person if you need it. The mod only supports controller input but you do still get a fully 360-degree, 6DOF experience, with selectable options to turn off enemy aggression should you simply wish to wander the lands freely or slow downtime.
Essential actions such as rolling to evade enemy attacks do work in the first-person VR mode, with the camera staying fixed to the horizon rather than horribly spinning around causing nausea. Even so, expect Elden Ring in VR to be a fairly intense experience.
Elden Ring VR mod in action
That’s not all in the world of VR modding news. Another modder Raicuparta is currently developing a Stanley Parable VR mod, releasing an early video to showcase his work. Again, like many modders who do these as side projects, Raicuparta has a Patreon if you want to know more and help financially support the project.
Eurogamer’s Ian Higton gave the Elden Ring VR mod a whirl so you can see it in all of its glory. For continued updates, keep reading gmw3.
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We now have the opportunity to come face-to-face with the myriad eldritch horrors that lurk within Elden Ring (2022). One of the most well-known names in the VR modding community, Luke Ross, has released his Elden Ring VR mod for the PC version of the game.
This is an early version of the mod and our understanding is that work is still ongoing. For now it supports only controller play, but gives you a full 6DOF experience, the ability to toggle between first-person and third-person views, slow down time, and even turn off enemy aggro so you can roam the lands without fear of being destroyed by horrible beasts. Our friend Cas dove into the mod to check it out first-hand:
The original article, which overviews the mod’s origins, continues below.
Original Article (April 25th, 2022): Over the past few months, Ross has worked to bring VR support to a host of non-VR games, including GTA V, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Mafia II,Horizon Zero Dawn, and Cyberpunk 2077. Now it’s time for the hit fantasy action RPG, which bids you to brandish the power of the Elden Ring and become an Elden Lord in the ominous Lands Between.
Ross dropped a preview of the Elden Ring VR mod on their YouTube channel, which shows off the immersive first-person exploration and melee-heavy combat, which for now doesn’t appear to be tracked to the player’s motion controllers. And yes: that’s the first enemy in the game.
Ross says on the REAL VR Patreon that the Elden Ring VR mod will “likely be a work-in-progress for quite some time.” The first playable version however should arrive “by the end of next week,” Ross says.
Additionally, Ross warns users should “[k]eep your VR legs in shape, because they’re really going to be put to the test.”
For the uninitiated, “VR legs” refers to the ability to handle discomfort resulting from the mismatch between visual sensory and the physical motion your body expects to feel in your inner ear. The so-called vestibular system provides a sense of balance and spatial orientation which can be thrown out of whack when VR games force you to do things like run and jump too fast, or otherwise encourage frenetic artificial movement.
Native VR games mostly side-step this with a set of clever locomotion settings, however a ground-up world-building approach is usually the key to deemphasizing offending behavior in the first place. Ross can’t do much about players being forced to ascend long and winding staircases, strafing continuously during combat, or platforming and falling to their deaths—all of which can bring on the dreaded flop sweats that typically precede full-on motion sickness.
Additionally, some of the unique scripted animations seen in the flatscreen game won’t directly translate to the VR, i.e. constantly rolling and dodging out of the way. Speaking to PC Gamer, Ross says this:
“When rolling or performing other scripted animations like the combat moves, the camera follows the character’s head (so its position changes) but it remains oriented correctly according to what your head is doing in real life. So the horizon will stay level and the world will always look stable.”
It’s unsure how this will affect general playability, but it may not matter much. Being able to go face-to-face with the world’s unspeakable monsters and marvel at the game’s highly detailed dungeons and open-world environments is definitely going to be an eye-opening experience any which way you slice it.
If you’re looking to follow Luke Ross, you can check out updates posted to their Patreon page and Twitter. There you’ll be able to signup to become a member and gain access to this and all past mods Ross has created.
Modder Luke Ross, known for his series of REAL VR mods, is behind the upcoming ‘port’. As you can see in the video below, the mod will allow you to play the game in first-person, seeing the enormous world from the RPG masterpiece in a whole new light. This first footage gives us just a quick look at the opening tutorial area.
Elden Ring VR Mod Gameplay
Ross’ other mods — which include work on Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Horizon: Zero Dawn — all use the gamepad for traditional controls rather than attempting to implement motion controllers. This will still be the case here which makes a lot of sense. Like the other Souls games before it, Elden Ring is all about judging attack animations and weapon speed. That simply wouldn’t translate to VR controllers, which is one reason why we probably haven’t seen many Souls-likes in VR yet.
You’ll no doubt need a beast of a PC to keep the game running at a stable framerate. According to PC Gamer, Ross is hoping to release the mod by the end of April but there may be some delays on that front. The developer will release the mod as part of his Patreon campaign, with subscribers getting access. Most recently, the developer put out a mod for Cyberpunk 2077, and has plans for yet more big titles in the future.
Would you play an Elden Ring VR mod? Let us know in the comments below!
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