How to Watch the 2022 Winter Olympics in VR

The 2022 Winter Olympics kicked off last Friday in Beijing, but did you know you can catch all of the action from the comfort of you VR headset? We’ve rounded up three sure-fire ways to get your head in the games.

NBC Olympics VR by Xfinity (Quest)

Comcast and NBCUniversal have launched an NBC Olympics VR by Xfinity app for Quest, which includes a host of 180-degree video from the games’ opening ceremony and select events, such as alpine skiing, hockey, bobsled and speed skating. Here’s a peek at what to expect in-app:

In all, the app promises over 150 hours of immersive 8K coverage which you can view with up to three other Quest or Quest 2 users for a social viewing party. There’s also a schedule and medal count available so you can keep track of everything that’s going on.

The catch: only US-based users can watch, and have to authenticate a paid TV service, be it cable, dish, or Internet TV like YouTube TV or Hulu.

Download ‘NBC Olympics App’ on Quest

Web Browser (SteamVR, Quest)

If you’re outside of the US or don’t own a Meta Quest, you’re a bit boned when it comes to immersive coverage of the Winter Olympics this year. Still, you can watch from the comfort of most headsets by using a web browser.

For Quest, you can use the built-in Oculus Browser, or download Firefox Reality if you’re already a Firefox users and want to keep your tabs synced between devices. These offer good viewing experiences of standard streaming video, which you can stretch to the size of a movie screen. Your regional provider most likely has a website dedicated to livestreaming Winter Olympics coverage, so that’s your best bet.

On PC VR headsets, you can use a host of methods for mirroring your monitor to your headset. You can user Bigscreen (more on that below), VR Desktop, or Steam’s native desktop window mirror option. I personally like Bigscreen because it’s free, can be set to private mode so you don’t need to be social, and has a bunch of immersive theater environments to choose from.

Bigscreen (SteamVR, Quest)

When it doubt, Bigscreen saves the day for all of your video streaming needs. Since public viewing rooms oftentimes feature popular events, you won’t have any trouble finding a few people sitting down to catch almost any event of this year’s Winter Olympics.

Granted, we’re talking about standard video streams here (not immersive video), but you may find it more exciting to watch alongside fans from around the world.

The good news is you won’t need to sign in to any service besides Bigscreen since you’re essentially just watching someone else’s steam—like hanging out at a friend’s house. It’s also free, and offers the highest-quality video viewing experiences we’ve seen in VR. And if people annoy you, just mute or hide them entirely for a worry free viewing experience.

Download ‘Bigscreen’ on Quest

Download ‘Bigscreen’ on SteamVR

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Are you watching the Winter Olympics in VR this year? Let us know how in the comments section below!

The post How to Watch the 2022 Winter Olympics in VR appeared first on Road to VR.

NBA League Pass Games Return to Quest in ‘Horizon Venues’ This Month

The NBA officially kicked off its 2021-22 regular season in mid-October after having last year’s derailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting this week, Meta (formerly Facebook) is welcoming Quest users back to Horizon Venues for some more courtside action.

You’ll be able to catch the first game on November 14th, which features the Golden State Warriors vs. the Charlotte Hornets. Check out November’s full NBA VR lineup below:

To watch, users need the paid NBA League Pass, which comes with a few other caveats. Meta says in a blogpost that League Pass games will only be open to users based in the US, and to those that are outside of a 50-mile radius of the two teams in a given game. That’s the wonderful world of broadcast syndication for you.

The newly rebranded Horizon Venues (previously just Venues) offers up multi-user spaces for large event viewing, which means you can watch games courtside with friends and key into exclusive play-by-play commentary from NBA champion Richard Jefferson, sportscaster Adam Amin, and more.

Meta says it’s going to publish more participating games in the future, however here’s November’s upcoming schedule. Click the links below to subscribe for an event reminder.

You can check out the full line-up of other Venues events here.

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XR Training & Gaming Startup Touts $5.2M Investment and Lamar Jackson Partnership

XR startup StatusPRO has announced it has raised a $5.2 million seed investment. While the company hasn’t fully revealed its product, it says it’s using AR and VR to create immersive sports training and gaming experiences. Teasing a partnership with NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson, the company claims its tech will usher in “a new era of football.”

Earlier this month StatusPro announced a seed investment of $5.2 million, building on a partnership with NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson to create the Lamar Jackson Experience, which the company describes as “a suite of first-person virtual reality products that include an at-home virtual reality game, arcade games, and live activation.”

The seed round was led by KB Partners and TitletownTech, with participation from Greycroft, Verizon Ventures, Haslam Sports Group, 49ers Enterprises, SC Holdings, and “additional strategic celebrity investors.”

The minority-owned StatusPro says the capital will “accelerate the expansion of products aimed at reshaping how players and coaches prepare for games, while defining a new form of engagement between athletes and fans.”

The company is focused on both XR sports training and gaming. On the sports training side, the company hasn’t publicly detailed its platform, but claims it “uses real-time player data to power holographic experiences that give players the ability to simulate any practice or game scenario without the physical impact that comes with playing the game.” StatusPro claims its tech is being employed by “several” NFL teams, including Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens.

These XR training experiences also form the basis for fan-focused gaming experiences. That seems to be the idea behind the Lamar Jackson Experience, which the company has teased but not fully revealed. According to the company’s website, the experience is “coming soon on Oculus” (and probably Quest specifically, seeing as that’s the headset shown in the teaser).

“Like most people from my generation I am a huge gamer, and the first time I demoed the StatusPro experience I was blown away by how realistic and fun it was,” Lamar Jackson said in his StatusPro partnership announcement last year. “Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to play in the NFL and now that I do, I am excited about sharing my experience with fans and especially kids through this VR gaming platform.”

StatusPro claims that “Lamar Jackson has been an integral part of the development, strategic planning and promotion of these experiences, and a true partner in all aspects.”

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Racket: NX Developers Want It To Be An Olympic Sport

One Hamsa, developers of Racket: Nx, teamed up with the International Racquetball Association to push for the game to become the first VR-based Olympic sport.

Earlier this year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the Olympic Virtual Series — a “Olympic-licensed event for physical and non-physical virtual sports.” Now, the developers of Racket: Nx are trying to make the game one of those virtual sports. Developers One Hamsa and the IOC-recognized International Racquetball Association are collaborating with the goal of presenting Racket: Nx as a candidate. The idea is to present the virtual sport as not just for existing VR players, but for general racket sports players too. According to One Hamsa Studio Director Assaf Ronen, Racket: Nx is an “immersive, skill-based and fully athletic experience” that “supports the moves of all racquet sports, except those that would not work in the average living room or family room.” The developers say they have a base globally of 150,000 players across PC and standalone VR platforms, including availability in the “emerging Chinese VR market” and they hope that reach means the game is more likely to be accepted.

The first Olympic Virtual Series already concluded ahead of the Tokyo Olympics but the IOC has a roadmap for the coming decade that includes encouraging “the development of virtual sports and further engage with video gaming communities.” More specifically, it recommends the Olympics launch “products and experiences through virtual and simulated forms of sports” and “Consider the addition of physical virtual sports in the Olympic Programme.”

Racket: Nx is one of many VR sports games available on Oculus Quest 2 – you can view our list of the best ones here.

Best VR Sports Games On Oculus Quest And Meta Quest 2

Playing a sport like football, boxing, mini golf or ping pong is easy on the Quest platform. Here’s our list of the best sports games available on Oculus Quest 2.

The list is presented in no particular order and is not ranked, as we didn’t want to pit a variety of different sports against each other. However, for sports that have multiple VR games available on Quest, we’ve stuck with just including the one best experience available on Quest for each.

We’ve also included a few sports games that aren’t direct one-to-one translations of a real sport, but something altered to work in VR.

Eleven Table Tennis

Eleven Table Tennis is really as simple as it sounds — it’s table tennis in VR. However, to leave it at that would be to do it an injustice — it’s not just table tennis in VR, it’s really good table tennis in VR. It also works so well because it feels like the real thing — there’s relatively little physical resistance when hitting a ball in table tennis in real life, so a VR translation feels scarily accurate. Slight vibrations when you hit the ball are all that’s needed to make Eleven Table Tennis feel properly authentic. Plus, the game supports LAN matches for a lag-free experience, and you can even use a 3D printed paddle with your Touch controller for the full authentic experience. It’s table tennis in VR,  recreated in impressive detail.

There’s also something special about being able to take your Quest anywhere and — provided you have an internet connection — play against a friend (or a random) online with a 1:1 recreation of a table tennis table. Upcoming updates will also add in support for the upgraded Meta avatars, with full upper body representation, along with 3-4 player support and an overhauled UI/menu system. 

Cross-platform play: Yes, between Quest, Rift and SteamVR users.

Read more: Table Tennis In VR Gets 3D Printed Paddle For Oculus Touch Controllers

Eleven Table Tennis On Quest To Surpass Rift Sales As Devs Plan New Features

Totally Baseball

Totally Baseball lets you be the pitcher, batter and outfielder all in one. The game has a unique “teleportation system” that will switch you between positions mid-game, giving you the full baseball experience in VR. 

The game launched with just singleplayer in July last year, but has since been updated to include two multiplayer modes – 1v1 or free roam. 

Read more: Totally Baseball Hits Oculus Quest This Week And Exits Steam Early Access

ForeVR Darts

By the same developers as ForeVR Bowling, ForeVR Darts provides an easy option to get head-to-head with your friends in a round of virtual darts. It’s simple but effective – invite friends and meet up at the ForeVR pub, where you can each compete in a lane with classic darts rules, such as 301 up. 

You can use either hands or controllers to throw darts – the hand tracking works quite well and, if anything, shooting a bullseye with an aiming reticule seems a little bit easier in VR than it does in real life…

Read more: ForeVR Darts Announced For Oculus Quest With Hand-Tracking, Coming Next Month


Carve Snowboarding

The most challenging part of Carve Snowboarding is the first few hours — learning the ropes and adjusting a foot-driven sport to be controller by your hands take a bit of getting used to. It’s tough and quite tiring at first, but it’s well worth the effort. The game is less focused on impossible stunts and more concerned with using VR to simulate the rush of racing downhill, ducking under tree branches and daring yourself to hop into the air and try for an Indie or a Japan Air.

It doesn’t have the precision of classic snowboarding games and it’ll tie your mind in knots at times but, once you’ve experienced the rush of Carve’s downhill stunts, you wouldn’t want it any other way.

Read more: Carve Snowboarding Review – A Thrilling Take On An Addictive Sport


Echo VR

This game is perhaps the most abstract translation of a real life sport into VR, but it basically takes Ultimate Frisbee and creates a stunningly-deep and engaging VR version of the game with two teams of three fighting over a Frisbee in zero gravity. If you’re familiar with the book Ender’s Game, imagine a cross between that and Ultimate Frisbee and you’ve got Echo VR.

If you haven’t tried Echo VR, it’s probably as close to a native VR-first sport available on the platform. It’s a properly amazing new take on Frisbee that could only work in VR. Even better, it’s completely free to play on Oculus Quest.

Read more: Echo VR Leaves Open Beta, Now Available On Oculus Quest

Echo VR Season 2 Starts June 8


Walkabout Mini Golf

Mini golf is one of those sports that lends itself particularly well to VR, and Walkabout Mini Golf is probably the best realization of the sport in VR. The only real difference to playing in real life is the lack of a proper club with the appropriate weight. However, you’ll quickly get the hang of it and can add an accessory to get that proper club feeling. Arguably, the game might even be better than physical mini golf with no pressure to get to the next hole, no hitches in the carpeting and the ability to move your putter right through obstacles instead of needing to move the ball away from it.

Walkabout Mini Golf launched on Oculus Quest but is also available on Steam from July 15 of 2021, with a phone version planned for later in the year. Cross-play is supported across all platforms too, so you’ll soon be able to play mini golf with Quest, PC VR and mobile users as well. There’s seven different courses in the game, set across some fun environments, with unlockable hard modes for the courses as well. There’s plans for one more course for the base game as well as some additional DLC courses as well.

Read more: Walkabout Mini Golf: How One Of VR’s Best Multiplayer Experiences Started On iPhone


The Climb 2

This one’s for the rock climbing and bouldering fans — while Crytek’s The Climb 2 can’t quite capture the full body physicality of the real sport, it comes pretty close. Despite not being available for PC VR, we called it one of most visually impressive Quest games on the platform in our review, featuring some stunning vistas and climbing courses. It’s not just a visual spectacle either — there’s also quite a bit of nuance to the climbing mechanics, allowing you to half-grip, jump, use zip lines, avoid breakable rocks and much more.

It’s a thrilling experience that lets you climb in some situations that you might never want to risk in real life. On the harder levels, it can even be a good accidental workout as well.

Read more: The Climb 2 Review: Quest Gets A Real Cliffhanger

Freestyle Expansion Pack Coming To The Climb 2 Tomorrow In Free Update


Thrill of the Fight

When it comes to VR boxing, there’s a surprising number of options. However, when push comes to shove, Thrill of the Fight throws the best punches.

This boxing simulator puts you in a virtual ring to fight off against AI opponents in a manner similar to a real boxing match — you’re encouraged to move around the ring and the game will automatically adjust the difficulty depending on how hard (or soft) you hit. It’s definitely more of a simulator than a game, so don’t come in expecting a big campaign or lots of game-y structure. Developer Ian Fitz’s main focus was to mimic real life as much as possible, with different outcomes depending on where each of your hits land.

Read more: Thrill of the Fight Gets 90Hz Public Beta On Quest 2

The Thrill Of The Fight VR Boxing Sim Hits Oculus Quest As Dev Teases Sequel


Racket NX

Racket NX takes a fundamentally different approach to some of the other games on this list — instead of taking a sport and trying to emulate it as closely as possible in VR, Racket NX gives you a racket and a ball and introduces a new form of gameplay made for VR.

You play inside a giant dome, using your Touch controller-turned racket to hit balls at targets that light up across the curved walls. There’s a single player campaign and endless mode, while multiplayer options offer versus and co-op modes with support for cross-platform play.

Read more: Racket NX Slams Onto Oculus Quest Next Week


2MD: VR Football Unleashed

When this game released, we called it a simple but fun arcade-style VR adaptation of American football. However, since our initial review there’s been a wealth of new updates that have added more content and overhauled big parts of the game. The recently-launched “Challengers Edition” update is the culmination of this, adding multiple leagues, new play modes, a new soundtrack and some graphical upgrades to the fairly lackluster launch visuals.

It’s still a fairly simple arcade-y version of American football, but if you’re looking for some quarterback action in VR, this is the game for you.

Read more: 2MD: VR Football Unleashed (Oculus Quest) Review: Quarterback Bootcamp


ForeVR Bowl

On the surface, ForeVR Bowl does everything right — it’s incredibly polished, has real character and gives plenty of reasons to keep playing. However, unlike other games on the list, the sport it’s simulating presents one big problem — bowling relies heavily on feeling the weight of the ball as you throw it. In VR, this simply isn’t possible. ForeVR Bowl tries to offer some smart solutions — it gives balls stats for weight and speed, offering options for different techniques — but ultimately it still comes off as an iteration of Wii Sports-style bowling as opposed to something more realistic.

The reason it’s on the list over other bowling games, such as Premium Bowling, is because it offers a more realistic experience overall, even if it does have those control issues associated with the lack of weight. It also offers multiplayer and once you accept the game’s limitations, it’s still a lot of casual fun. The developers have also already made improvements to the throwing mechanics since launch and are continuing work on additional changes.

Read more: ForeVR Bowl Feels A Little More Consistent With New Update

ForeVR Bowl Review: A Great Take On A Sport That Isn’t Ready For VR


Real VR Fishing

Real VR Fishing is the game for you if you’re looking for something that captures the calming joy of just sitting out on the shore or boat with your line in the water and chatting with friends to your right and left. You can collect catches for your aquarium and visit a range of beautiful settings, plus there’s a pretty large range of difficulty options. When you’re just starting out, the game helps you see where the fish are, but you can turn that off for an even more realistic and challenging experience. The developers are planning a US West DLC pack for new areas to fish in as well as a revamp of the game’s mechanics.

Read more: Real VR Fishing Update Will Rework Mechanics, US West DLC Coming Soon

Gym Class VR

In terms of basketball, Gym Class is probably the best route on Quest 2. We’ve tried other basketball games that take a more skee ball-inspired arcade approach to the sport, but Gym Class opts to translate the proper basketball game experience as best as possible in VR, similar to the approach taken by Eleven for table tennis.

Basketball is a lot harder to pull off properly in VR, but Gym Class is a solid attempt with good core mechanics and ball physics. You can shoot hoops solo on a full court, but the main draw is multiplayer, where you can play with up to 8 people across 2 teams. There’s support for audio chat on the court, as well as full-body IK to make players appear more natural. 

The ball has good weight to it, which works alongside a smart auto-release mechanic for throwing and bouncing. We’ve mainly tried the solo mode and haven’t played a full online match – nor are we experts in real life basketball either – but it felt like the game struck a nice balance between providing a realistic, true-to-life experience and necessary adjustments to make everything work well in VR. 

The app is still currently in beta, and so is only available through App Lab at the moment.


What are you favorite sports games on Oculus Quest? Let us know in the comments below.

‘Racket: Nx’ Update Brings New Level Editor, Now Live on Quest & PC VR

Racket: Nx (2018), the VR sports game from One Hamsa, just got an update that includes the long-awaited addition of a level editor.

The Israel-based studio has been teasing the update since late May, although fans have been asking for a level editor since it was released in Early Access on PC VR headsets back in 2017.

Now, live as a free update to the game on all supported platforms, editing is done in-game, allowing you to choose from a range of powerups, obstacles, and gadgets to get your ball zooming around the spherical playing field.

If you’ve never played Racket: Nx, it’s a bit like racquetball-meets-Breakout: hit the ball against the wall, try to break the correct hexagonal blocks, and avoid the wrong ones. That’s the basics, but in practice it becomes much more complicated as you go for chain combos and encounter increasingly difficult levels in a race against the clock.

It’s a full-featured game—and quite a workout too. Online play allows you to either play in co-op or PvP, and single player mode lets you go against a lengthy campaign or swat away at an endless survival mode. Just make sure to clear the area, and stay far away from TVs and monitors.

You’ll find Racket: Nx on Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift and SteamVR headsets. Check out our full review to find out why we gave it a resounding [8.8/10].

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Zynga Veterans Unveil New VR Studio ‘ForeVR’, Announces $1.5M Seed Funding

A new VR studio founded by a pair of Zynga veterans has emerged from stealth with some not-so-inconsequential funding. Called ForeVR, the studio recently revealed it’s also raised $1.5 million to build VR games for all ages. The news was first reported by Venture Beat.

ForeVR has successfully completed its first seed round, which includes Galaxy Interactive Fund, Twitch CEO Emmett Shear, Twitch co-founder Justin Kan, and Zynga founders Mark Pincus and Justin Waldron.

Founded by Marcus Segal and Mike Pagano Doom, previously of Zynga, the San Francisco and Los Angeles-based studio already has 10 people aboard its team. It’s mission: to translate “the most popular and classic IRL games into immersive virtual reality experiences where friends and families of all ages can connect and have fun,” the studio says on its website.

The studio is currently developing its first title, a VR bowling game called ForeVR Bowl, which is slated to land on the Oculus Store sometime in 2021. There’s still no word on which device it’s targeting specifically, but given its leadership’s enthusiasm for Quest 2, it’s likely to land on the Quest platform first.

Image courtesy ForeVR

“I love VR. And I’ve been waiting for the right time, which for me was when there is a device that everyone could access,” company co-founder and CEO Marcus Sega told Venture Beat. “And I think that the Oculus Quest 2 at just $300 blows this opportunity wide open. Bowling was really instrumental for the Wii, and we think that kind of game, where you could play with one hand, is exactly what VR needs. You pick up the ball and bowl. It’s a great place to start this accessibility revolution for VR. I was able to get my 81-year-old dad into it.”

Segal hopes to make VR games more accessible to multiple generations of users, something developers in the mobile gaming sphere has been particularly cognizant of since wider adoption of the smartphone.

“If you look at what Zynga did for web games, we were able to make games that the grandparents could play with their grandchildren,” Segal said. “And I really want to do that for VR, I want to make games where you can make a case that there will be a VR headset in every household. And the only way you do that is if you can make a game where the family could play it, like bowling.”

The Quest platform launched in 2019 with the original Oculus Quest, bringing with it a smattering of both long and short-format games. Many of the best rated and most rated Quest titles today fit into the casual ‘pick up and play’ gaming segment, so it’s possible a smart, well-built VR game like ForeVR Bowling could see some success if it nails the feel and fun of real bowling, albeit with the benefit of being able to socially distance in your own home.

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Facebook Signs Multiyear Deal with NBA, Making Oculus Its Official VR Marketing Partner

Facebook has signed a multiyear deal with the National Basketball Association (NBA) which makes Oculus an official marketing and VR headset partner of the NBA, Women’s NBA (WNBA) and NBA G League.

Oculus is now considered ‘the presenting partner’ of the NBA Rail Cam Replay on ESPN, ABC and TNT, which will now be called ‘Oculus Front Row View’. The newly-dubbed Oculus Front Row View is a mobile table-mounted camera that captures the action as it moves up and down the court.

In addition to its Oculus Venues coverage, accessible through NBA League Pass on Quest and Go, the company also says the new camera angle will be “just one of the many ways the NBA and Oculus will provide an innovative experience for fans watching games at home.”

The marketing deal coincides with the start of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. You can check out the full NBA VR schedule here, accessible via Oculus Venues for Quest and Go.

“This partnership furthers our ongoing commitment to engage with fans of the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League in new and innovative ways,” said Julie Morris, Vice President of Media & Business Development at the NBA. “Together with Oculus, we will create new experiences for our fans while also bringing them closer to the action through Oculus’ state-of-the-art VR devices.”

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Oculus Social VR App 'Venues' to Get Overhaul in Preparation for 'Facebook Horizon'

NextVR, which was acquired by Apple earlier this year, previously held exclusive rights to streaming NBA games and replays in immersive 3D 180 degree video. Those licensing rights had fallen to Yahoo Sports and the VR production team RYOT, which covered 13 seeding games up until August 12th. Now it seems Facebook will not only be taking over that role, but also expanding it with the addition of marketing for the WBNA and NBA G League.

In addition NBA finals coverage, Oculus will have a presence throughout both ESPN Wide World of Sports and IMG Academy as the 2019-20 NBA season and 2020 WNBA season continues in Orlando and Bradenton, Florida.

The deal brings Oculus signage to games as well as Oculus Quest headsets to NBA and WNBA players.

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NFL MVP Lamar Jackson Partners Status Pro For A VR Game

Today Status Pro revealed that they are partnering with NFL MVP and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for an upcoming “suite of VR products” and a VR game.

Reportedly, Status Pro is working on a series of first-person virtual reality experiences that will collectively be known as “The Lamar Jackson Experience” and are designed to provide a first-hand perspective of what it’s like to compete in the NFL. This includes an “at-home” VR game, arcade games, and live activations.

Utilizing game tracking data, the experiences will recreate real-life game scenarios as a glimpse of what it’s like to lace up as the NFL MVP. Details are scarce on what that means exactly, but based on the brief teaser video above and promo image, it looks like some sort of QB simulation that will have players simulating throwing motions and play-calling on the field. Notably, it looks like you’ll actually suit up as a Baltimore Raven, meaning this is likely an official NFL product of some kind that’s not tied to the Madden series. In the promo image we can also see Jackson wearing an Oculus Quest using two Touch controllers.

Status Pro is, according to their own press release, “a sports technology company that combines data with augmented and virtual reality to provide a suite of training and gaming products that revolutionize the way coaches, players, and fans experience their favorite sport.” Here’s more information about the company on their official website.

What do you think about this idea? Let us know down in the comments below! While waiting for more details you can check out 2MD VR Football to scratch that VR football itch.

The post NFL MVP Lamar Jackson Partners Status Pro For A VR Game appeared first on UploadVR.

2MD: VR Football Unleashed (Oculus Quest) Review: Quarterback Bootcamp

Even though 2MD: VR Football Unleashed from Truant Pixels is far from a full version of American football in VR, it still shines as an arcade delight when paired with wireless roomscale on Oculus Quest.

It absolutely baffles me why there aren’t more fully-fleshed out and well-funded VR adaptations of real world sports. It seems like a no-brainer. There are a handful of rough, unpolished attempts spread out across Steam, VR Sports Challenge from Sanzaru Games with abbreviated scrimmages, and a few whimsical takes on sports in VR like Sports Scramble, but that’s about it.

In the meantime we’ve at least got fun (albeit incredibly simple) arcade-style VR games like 2MD: VR Football Unleashed to tide us over.

A more accurate title for 2MD: VR Football Unleashed would probably have been something like ‘VR Quarterback Challenge’ or something to that effect because that’s all it actually is. You don’t play any other positions and you don’t have actual control over anything that happens once the ball is snapped other than where you throw it, so it’s not really a full football experience.

When you first load into 2MD VR Football you’ll go through some training exercised to get the hang of the controls. There are some nifty sliders that let you adjust the arc and power of your release so it feels just right for however your arm moves and throws. Releasing the trigger on a controller is a different feeling than letting go of a real-life football, so it can take some practice getting used to things. The training course has well-placed rings that do a good job of helping you get acclimated.

Visually it’s extremely unimpressive. There is little shading in any of the game’s models, all the stadiums more or less look and feel the same, characters are faceless and armless, and it just generally has an almost unfinished vibe to everything. This makes it approachable and not too intimidating, but as a football fan I’d prefer something with at least a bit more detail. The Quest is capable of much more impressive visuals with a better funded project.

2md vr football quest screenshot gameplay 2

Once you’re done there you’re faced with a whiteboard and a marker in the locker room of a 2MD VR Football stadium; this is where things get really interesting. In 2MD VR Football you’re not bound by a playbook at all. Instead, you have eight different plays saved at all times (up, down, left, and right on each analog stick to call audibles at the line) and the white board lets you manually draw each route. This is genius.

Not only does it give you something tactile and physical to do pre-game as preparation, but it really does add an extra layer of interactivity that isn’t even seen in most AAA football games. Unfortunately, team customization isn’t anywhere near as deep. There are a handful of mascots to pick from and then you can adjust the primary and secondary colors of uniforms, but that’s it. You can’t even change team names. Each mascot has their own stadium and theme song, but that’s about it.

2md vr football quest screenshot gameplay 3

The meat of the game is a two-minute drill tournament. You’re given two minutes to drive down the field and score a touchdown to win. If you turn the ball over then it just resets back where you started without putting time back on the clock. It’s a clever format because it ensures that the game is on-the-line at all times, but it’s a bummer you don’t get to catch passes, command a defense, swat down balls, stiff arm defenders, or anything like that.

Playing on Quest was great because when I cleared out room I was able to move around and actually feel like I was evading pressure from defenders. Which made the disappointment even more poignant that the core of the game is just throwing passes and nothing else.

Comfort

2MD: VR Football Unleashed is as comfortable as you want it to be. Realistically, you don’t need to movev artificially at all whatsoever. You’re not required to roll out of the pocket and throw on the run if you don’t want to. You can stand in the pocket and throw passes to receivers and still experience the entire game. But if you do want to move around once the ball is snapped that’s done with the left control stick via artificial smooth movement. Or, if you’re playing on the Quest like I was, just literally run around your play space doing your best Lamar Jackson impression.

Pull the trigger to hike the ball and let ‘er rip. That’s pretty much the entire game. The depth and replayability comes from being able to customize plays back in the locker room, unlocking new mascots, and toying around on the practice field. After each win you’ll go through a bonus stage of ring targets that let you rack up more points for the global leaderboard rankings. Collecting trophies for the locker room is a fun element, but that’s all there is to do in terms of collectibles.

2md vr football quest screenshot gameplay 5

2MD: VR Football Unleashed (Oculus Quest) Review Final Verdict

Make no mistake: 2MD: VR Football Unleashed is not a deep game. It doesn’t have a lot of the features you’d expect out of a VR football experience, but it still manages to be fun and unique game without comparison, especially on Quest, in the right circumstances. There’s something simple and addictive about jumping into a game and driving down the field as quickly as possible to score a touchdown and win the game. As a result, 2MD VR Football boils down the excitement of football and delivers it over and over until your arm is too sore to throw another pass — just don’t expect to find anything other than a surface level recreation of the gridiron here.


Final Score: :star: :star: :star:  3/5 Stars | Pretty Good

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You can read more about our five-star scoring policy here.


This review was conducted on the Oculus Quest version of 2MD: VR Football Unleashed, which is available now for $14.99. Alternatively, 2MD VR Football is also available on Steam for PC VR headsets for $12.99, Oculus Home for Rift for $14.99, and PSVR for $12.99. The PSVR version also includes multiplayer via a non-VR player controlling the defense on the TV social screen.

The Quest and Rift Home versions are cross-buy so owning one will grant access to both.

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