Subnautica: Below Zero Releases With VR Mod Support

Subnautica: Below Zero is now available as a full release, and you can experience the game in VR with the help of an updated mod.

Below Zero is a follow-up to the beloved deep sea diving game, which got its own full release in 2018 with official support for PC VR headsets. When Below Zero launched in Early Access in 2019, though, developer Unknown Worlds revealed it would likely never officially integrate VR support into the game.

But a team of developers have been working away on unofficial VR support for the Early Access version of the game over the past few years. Alongside last week’s full launch, the team updated its support to a 1.0 release. The team says this release should bring the game up to about the same standard as the original Subnautica’s official VR support, with more work still to be done.

Indeed, we said the original Subnautica was a great game with troubled VR support when we originally reviewed it.

You can download the mod from here – it’s best to use the Vortex Mod Manager. Over on Twitter Unknown Worlds’ Charlie Cleveland said the team will be adding in official mod support in the future, so it may soon be even easier to get it up and running.

With the install base of VR headsets still much lower than traditional gaming rigs and consoles, it’s still hard for developers to justify spending time and resources on VR support. As such, mods such as these are often our best chance to experience big games inside headsets.

We’ll take a look at the VR version of Subnautica: Below Zero ourselves in an upcoming livestream this week.

March 15, 2019

Astro Bot Rescue Mission auf den BAFTA Games Awards 2019 als Spiel des Jahres nominiert

Die BAFTA Games Awards (British Academy Video Games Awards) nominieren erstmals einen VR-Titel für die Auszeichnung zum besten Spiel des Jahres 2019. Der gefeierte VR-Plattformer Astro Bot Rescue Mission tritt in insgesamt drei Kategorien gegen eine starke Konkurrenz an. In Unterkategorien findet sich zudem die abenteuerliche Maus Quill aus Moss sowie das Survival-Unterwasserabenteuer Subnautica wieder.

BAFTA Games Awards 2019 – Astro Bot Rescue Mission als Spiel des Jahres 2019 nominiert

Die BAFTA Video Games Awards prämieren seit 2004 eigenständig Videospieltitel in diversen Kategorien für besondere Leistungen. Während die Awards derzeit noch keine selektierte Kategorie für VR-Titel führen, kam es dieses Jahr dennoch zu einer überraschenden Nominierung, denn Sonys erfolgreicher Plattformer Astro Bot Rescue Mission wurde zum Spiel des Jahres 2019 nominiert. Zusätzlich tritt das Spiel um die Auszeichnung für Game Innovation und Game Design an.

Astro Bot konnte sich bereits einen Platz auf dem Treppchen bei den Awards des PlayStation Blogs sichern und wurde mit dem 2. Platz zur besten PS VR Experience 2018 ausgezeichnet.

In der Kategorie Best Game muss es der VR-Plattformer mit starker Konkurrenz aufnehmen. So sind neben den knuddeligen Bots die Spiele, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, Celeste und Return of the Obra Dinn nominiert.

“BOT!”

Congrats to God of War and Astro Bot Rescue Mission for their @BAFTAGames nominations, including Best Game! https://t.co/xmCrRRA7KP pic.twitter.com/7LcIbdQbML

— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) March 14, 2019

Im Wettkampf um die neusten Innovationen in Videospielen treten die Titel dagegen in der Kategorie Game Innovation an. Darin finden sich mit Astro Bot und Moss sogar zwei Vertreter des Mediums VR wieder, die sich gegen Celeste, Cultist Simulator, Nintendo Labo und Return of the Obra Dinn durchsetzen müssen.

In der Kategorie Game Design besteht die Konkurrenz ebenso aus God of War, Celeste und Return of the Obra Dinn sowie Into the Breach und Minit. In der Sektion Orignal Property findet sich zudem das Unterwasserabenteuer Subnautica wieder, welches ebenso gegen Moss und weitere Kandidaten antritt.

Alle Nominierten sowie sämtliche Kategorien findet ihr auf der offiziellen Webseite der Awards.

(Quellen: BAFTA Games Awards 2019 | Upload VR | PlayStation UK Twitter)

Der Beitrag Astro Bot Rescue Mission auf den BAFTA Games Awards 2019 als Spiel des Jahres nominiert zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

February 1, 2019

Subnautica’s Below Zero Expansion Probably Won’t Ever Have VR Support

subnautica below zero unknown worlds vr support

Subnautica is often regarded as one of the premier examples in PC gaming of how to introduce VR support to a title that was originally developed without VR in mind at all. Everything from the sound design, visual smoothness, and head tracking are excellent and provide a serious sense of presence. You spend most of your time submerged in the ocean as you explore and craft things so the sensation of wearing “goggles” on your face only adds to the realism.

Granted, Subnautica only has keyboard and mouse or gamepad support (no motion controllers) but VR is still arguably the very best way to experience it. This week, the brand new expansion dubbed Below Zero hit Steam Early Access for $19.99 and while the reception is very positive so far it’s missing one major feature: VR support.

You see, VR was added very late in the original base game’s development cycle by popular demand and it’s just not in the project scope for the expansion. According to a developer on the Steam forums, they don’t think they have the time or resources to do VR justice for the add-on:

“Sadly we don’t think we’ll be able to do VR justice. Not because we don’t love VR (we do) or all own multiple headsets (we do)….We wanted to do a better job with SN1 but time and availability of people was difficult. We just don’t want people having a bad experience in VR for Below Zero, so we’re likely not doing it unless we can find the time. Making the game itself is the top priority.”

Maybe if people request the feature enough they’ll change their minds but as of now it seems pretty unlikely that Below Zero will have VR support. For more details on the expansion and the base game itself check out the official website and read our full review of Subnautica here.

Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below!

Tagged with: Below Zero, Subnautica, unknown worlds

The post Subnautica’s Below Zero Expansion Probably Won’t Ever Have VR Support appeared first on UploadVR.

December 15, 2018

Underwater survival game ‘Subnautica’ free on Epic Games’ online store

The award-winning underwater survival game Subnautica is currently available as a free download on the Epic Games store. The Steam challenger looks to attract players with a new free game every two weeks.

The post Underwater survival game ‘Subnautica’ free on Epic Games’ online store appeared first on Digital Trends.

December 10, 2018

Epic Games Store: Subnautica kostenlos ab 14. Dezember erhältlich

Erst letzte Woche berichteten wir über die neue Distributionsplattform von Epic Games, in welcher das Studio zukünftig zu fairen Konditionen diverse Software für die Spielerschaft bereitstellt. Der neue Epic Games Store wurde nun veröffentlicht und besonders VR-Enthusiasten sollten einmal vorbeischauen, denn ab dem 14. Dezember ist der VR-Unterwassertitel Subnautica kostenlos erhältlich. Zukünftig sollen alle zwei Wochen ein weiterer Titel verschenkt werden.

Epic Games Store – Subnautica für Oculus Rift und HTC Vive kostenlos erhältlich

Auch wenn das aktuelle Angebot im neu eröffneten Epic Games Store noch überschaubar ist, kann sich ein gelegentlicher Blick durchaus lohnen, denn die Verantwortlichen locken neue Kunden im zwei-wöchigen Rhythmus mit Gratisspielen. Den Anfang macht ab dem 14. Dezember das VR-Surivival-Abenteuer Subnautica von Unknown Worlds für Oculus Rift und HTC Vive.

Innerhalb des Unterwasserabenteuers taucht ihr in die virtuelle Tiefsee ein, um Ressourcen zu sammeln und euer Überleben zu sichern. Dafür taucht ihr in den Meeren eines fremden Planeten nach Nahrung und Ausrüstung, denn Trinkwasser und essbare Rohstoffe sind Mangelware. Nebenbei sammelt ihr Materialien mit eurer Tauchausrüstung ein, die ihr wiederum in bessere Ausrüstung umbaut. So versucht ihr nach und nach eure zerstörte Rettungskapsel wiederherzustellen und euch an die überlebensunfreundliche, nasse Flora und Fauna zu gewöhnen.

Subnautica VR Oculus Rift

Währenddessen gibt es einiges zu erkunden, denn nicht nur zahlreiche Höhlen und Schluchten warten auf euch, sondern auch interessante Lebewesen und Meeresbewohner. Doch Vorsicht: Nicht alle sind euch wohl gesonnen. Für größere Unterwassertiere steht ihr selbst auf der Speisekarte und besonders nachts warten zahlreiche Gefahren auf euch.

Subnautica VR 3

Wir haben das Survival-Game bereits für euch getestet. Was euch darin erwartet, erfahrt ihr in unserem Review.

Zukünftig sollen weitere PC- und VR-Spiele folgen. Entsprechend soll alle zwei Wochen ein neuer Titel im Store verschenkt werden. Den Epic Games Store findet ihr hier.

(Quellen: Epic Games Store | Video: Subnautica YouTube)

Der Beitrag Epic Games Store: Subnautica kostenlos ab 14. Dezember erhältlich zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

December 7, 2018December 14, 2018

‘Subnautica’ is Now Free on Epic Games Store, Download Period Lasts Until Dec. 27th

Image courtesy Unknown Worlds Entertainment

Epic Games has recently opened its own digital distribution platform in hopes that its industry-leading revenue share split will attract developers. Inaugurating the new Epic Games Store, the company is giving away underwater survival game Subnautica (2018) for free. As in, download it now for free and keep it forever.

Update (December 14th, 2018): Subnautica is now free on Epic Games Store, and will remain free to anyone who downloads it between now and December 27th. As far as we can tell, the version available through Epic appears to be the same a the one on Steam, replete with native support for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

Original Article (December 7th, 2018): Subnautica was first developed for PCs, although during its lengthy stint in Early Access on Steam its developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment added preliminary support in 2015 for the Oculus Rift DK2. Now the game boasts support for both the consumer Rift and HTC Vive, although users are still confined to using a mouse and keyboard setup.

Subnautica will be permanently free to users who download the title from December 14th to December 27th. The game normally retails for $25.

Epic Games says they’ll be giving away a free game every two weeks; you can keep an eye on which free games are coming to Epic Games Store here.

Lets just hope there’s some more VR games in there.

The post ‘Subnautica’ is Now Free on Epic Games Store, Download Period Lasts Until Dec. 27th appeared first on Road to VR.

September 2, 2018

Journey To The Polar Regions In Subnautica Below Zero, A New Standalone Expansion

Unknown Worlds Entertainment, the development team behind the popular underwater survival videogame Subnautica, have announced that they are hard at work on a new, stand-alone expansion that will expand the titles gameplay and systems into a new ‘ice-bound region’. This means the players will travel to the polar region of the games world and get to experience many new adventures and mystery as they deal with massive glaciers and icebergs.

Subnautica: Below Zero

Originally released into Steam Early Access back in 2014, Subnautica has quickly become a hugely popular title that came out of the program and released in full earlier this year. The title supports virtual reality (VR) play as well by means of the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift head-mounted displays (HMDs) which offer a more immersive way for players to experience the underwater world of the mystery planet they find themselves stuck on.

In the new expansion, entitled Subnautica: Below Zero, players will continue their adventure after the events of the original game and experience a new chapter that will build on the titles current gameplay systems and stories. Much like the base videogame, the new expansion will release into Early Access as well later this year and be getting consistent content updates where players will be able to help space the experience by providing feedback during its development.

Subnautica: Below Zero

“The concept of Below Zero is still developing.” The team right on the announcement website: “We are keeping the core gameplay mechanics, such as base building and open-ended exploration. We are also exploring new ones, such as thermal management, and more voiced dialogue at the core of the plot. We’re still in early stages and nothing is set in ice. These features may change prior to, and during, Early Access.”

Much like the original title, it is expected that this new stand-alone expansion will also support VR giving players the chance to immersive themselves within the new cold region. Those who are interested in keep track of the development of the new expansion, along with getting a peek at some of the features, can do so by checking out the studios Trello board.

VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on Subnautica: Below Zero in the future, so stay tuned for more.

July 13, 2018

‘Subnautica’ to Hit PS4 Holiday Season, PSVR Support Not Included

Panic Button Games, the studio responsible for the PSVR port of Electric Hat’s To The Top (2017), are working on bringing popular underwater survival game Subnautica (2018) to PlayStation 4. Although both Steam and Oculus Store versions of the game support VR, PS4 users won’t be so lucky; Unknown Worlds, the game’s original developers, say it probably won’t ever come to PSVR.

Announced via a PS blogpost recently, the impressively polished deep-sea survival game is slated to launch on PS4 this holiday season. Critically missing in the announcement was any mention of PSVR support.

Unknown Worlds addressed the lack of PSVR support in a statement on their blog, and gave a brief but candid look at the challenges of squeezing the game to fit the headset’s inherent graphical limitations:

Subnautica is coming to PlayStation 4, woot! Will it support PS4 Virtual Reality (VR)? This is a tricky question. The short answer is: Probably not.

The long answer is: We haven’t made any decisions about PSVR. However, the performance challenges of stuffing Subnautica onto console are already daunting. In this context, ‘performance’ means how fast the game runs, or how many ‘Frames Per Second’ (FPS) we can achieve.

High frame rates are crucial for VR. We are already battling hard achieve stable, consistent FPS above 30 on consoles, and VR requires 60+. Perhaps in the future, once we have achieved strong performance on PS4, we could revisit the question. But for now, it’s safe to assume PSVR is not on the horizon.

We’re sorry for any disappointment that causes, but we are also thankful for your feedback. After all, it was all your requests for a PS4 version that led to yesterday’s announcement. So keep telling us what you want!

Throughout its early access period, Subnautica included a ‘VR mode’ to go along with its primary support for traditional monitors.

Some of the reason why it won’t be hitting PSVR could also lie in the game’s implementation of its ‘VR mode’ in the first place, as it seems to be a pretty divisive issue among PC VR users. Although it holds a 94% positive rating on Steam (primarily containing reviews of the monitor version), many VR users cite the game’s playability in-headset. Major complaints cite frustrating controls, illegible in-game text, and overall comfort issues as concerns, which currently has it sitting at a middling 3.7/5 stars on the Oculus Store.

At any rate, it’s a shame we probably won’t be seeing Subnautica on PSVR anytime soon (or ever), as the 20+ hour main story and overall visual polish are really something VR users are craving.

The post ‘Subnautica’ to Hit PS4 Holiday Season, PSVR Support Not Included appeared first on Road to VR.

June 24, 2018

Something For The Weekend: Steam Summer Sale VR Deals

With the Steam Summer Sale in full swing it is time for VRFocus to bring you a number of deals on virtual reality (VR) titles. With so many titles on sale during this period it can be hard to find something to new to pick up and play. Below you will find ten titles that are sure to peak your interest and keep you entertained. As always, be sure to check back every weekend for even more deals right here on VRFocus.

Hover Junkers

Why not engage in some multiplayer first-person shooter action where you ride around on your own hover ship in this intense and stylish title. Pilot your own ship building defenses around the edge from all manner of objects as you then walk, duck, dodge and aim in gunfights that will put your skills to the test. With both player-versus-player modes and coop wave-based modes, Hover Junkers is a unique title that has something for everyone.

Hover Junkers is available now for £9.44 (GBP) down from the usual £26.99.

Apex Construct

“Despite some minor gripes, its clear that Apex Construct represents the way forward for VR videogames, an absorbing, intriguing experience that draws you in with a rich world complete with its own history and mysteries to be unravelled as well as a fluid combat system. Apex Construct is the standard by which future VR titles will be judged, and an indicator that VR has stepped up its game.” – Read VRFocus’ Staff Writer Rebecca Hills-Duty’s review of Apex Construct.

Apex Construct is currently available for £16.74 (GBP) down from £24.99.

Subnautica

Why not descend into the depths of an alien underwater world filled with wonder and peril in Subnautica, an open world survival game set completely under water. You will need to explore, craft, harvest and survive by any means possible in this massive title where anything could be lurking in the depths. One more, the title is fully playable in VR meaning you can truly immersive yourself in the wide, uncharted ocean.

Subnautica is available now on for £15.59 (GBP) down from £19.49.

GalGun VR*

Grab your VR headset and your gun and get ready to hunt demons and spread love in one of the more, different, VR titles on this list. As angels and demons keep messing with highschool life, it falls down to you to put things right and deal with being the most popular guy around, fending off a rush of girls who are madly in love with you. Using your Pheromone Shot your need to give them all euphoria along with getting rid of any demons that might be causing trouble. Can you save the day and maybe find true love along the way or will you fall to the rush of love from these girls?

Gal*Gun VR is available now for £15.40 (GBP) on sale from the usual £22.99.

Katana X

“Katana X is a sword simulation action game designed specifically for VR utilizing tracked motion controls. It’s a highly accessible game that is easy to get into and strangely addicting once you start. This game takes real physical skill of body control and hand–eye coordination to get high scores. If you like motion gaming, swordplay, and having a serious workout session, this is the game for you.”

Katana X is only £3.87 (GBP) down from £5.79.

Battlezone Gold Edition

“Battlezone is arcade VR action at its finest, with options galore allowing players to uniquely hone their combat strategies. With both extensive single-player and multiplayer modes there’s enough here for countless hours of gameplay, so you can comfortably sit cocooned inside these rolling machines of destruction and never get bored, because quite frankly, it’s too much fun.” – Read VRFocus’ Senior Staff Writer Peter Graham’s review of Battlezone.

Battlezone Gold Edition is available now for £14.99 (GBP) down from £29.99.

Batman: Arkham VR

Become the night and experience Gotham City through the eyes of the world’s greatest detective in an all new Arkham mystery. Immersive yourself in the shoes of the Dark Knight and learn what it means to be Batman. Can you solve the mystery using all your skills and gadgets?

Batman: Arkham VR is currently £7.49 (GBP) down from £14.99.

Audioshield

“Block the beats! Audioshield puts you at the point of impact for every hit in your songs. Block incoming orbs with your shields and feel the music. Works with any song file, plus online music streaming and Song of the Day.”

Audioshield is currently on sale for £7.49 (GBP) down from £14.99.

TO THE TOP

Experience the thrill of platforming in VR as TO THE TOP gives you the freedom to explore an environment with superhuman abilities. With over 35 levels to complete with new obstacles and challenges, can you make it through each of them and complete for the fastest time? Climb, jump, explore and enjoy your journey through a visually stunning environment as you try to reach the top.

TO THE TOP is currently available for £11.61 (GBP) down from £15.49.

Job Simulator

“Making good use of the HTC Vive’s roomscale without demanding an excessive playspace, Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives is a great starting point for both Owlchemy Labs and users set to experience their first taste of modern VR. It’s humorous and inviting without ever truly being too taxing, and the potential for expansion is nigh-on unlimited. Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives is an easy recommendation for anyone looking to jump into VR and a great advertisement for the fact that virtual worlds don’t necessarily need to lean towards photorealism to be immersive.” – Read VRFocus’ Editor Kevin Joyce’s review of Job Simulator.

Job Simulator is available for only £11.61 (GBP) right now on sale from £15.49.

That is all for this week but remember that VRFocus gathers all the best sales and deals every week, so check back next weekend at the same time to discover more.

June 8, 2018

Subnautica Discounted This Weekend as Part of World Oceans Day

After three years in Steam Early Access Unknown Worlds Entertainment’s Subnautica fully launched in January this year, including support for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Allowing players to go on an underwater adventure the studio has announced a special discount weekend in support of World Oceans Day and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) charity.

Subnautica image 1

Unknown Worlds Entertainment and Perfect World Entertainment (PWE) have teamed up with Steam to support the charity by offering a 20 percent discount off Subnautica. While gamers get to save money the deal will see 15 percent of net developer profits will go directly to WDC to support their work all over the world to keep whales and dolphins safe and free from the many threats they face, including whaling, being kept in captivity for ‘entertainment’ and the major new threat of plastic pollution in our oceans.

“It’s really exciting for us to be able to work with WDC on the Oceans Day promotion and to be able to use Subnautica to help make a difference,” said Head of Strategic Partnerships at PWE, Whitney Henderson in a statement. “Only this week, a pilot whale in Thailand died of starvation after eating 80 plastic shopping bags that he had mistaken for food so it’s wonderful to have the chance to increase awareness of the important work that WDC does to help keep our seas healthy and to give players the chance to donate to such a great cause.”

Subnautica Ghost Update

In Subnautica the story goes that you’ve crash landed on a watery alien world and the only way to survive is to head underwater. From sun drenched shallow coral reefs to treacherous deep-sea trenches, lava fields, and bio-luminescent underwater rivers, Subnautica has some rich environments to explore as you scavenge and search for resources. You’ll need to craft knives, lights, diving gear, and personal water craft to venture ever deeper to find rarer resources, allowing you to craft more advanced items.

Abbie Cheesman, who manages WDC’s partnerships and collaborations added: “Subnautica has been incredibly popular with our supporters in the gaming community and the broadcasters and fundraisers who have taken part in our Gamers for Orcas fundraisers, so we are delighted to be working with the team behind Subnautica on a special promotion this World Oceans Day. We are so grateful for their generous support of our vital work to help protect our oceans and the amazing marine wildlife that call them home at such a critical time for many whale and dolphin species.”

From today until 11th June at 10am PST, Subnautica will be available for £15.59 GBP rather than the regular Steam price of £19.49. For any further updates, keep reading VRFocus.