Thanks to PC VR, Beat Saber is running on a Vision Pro. But setting it up is still not easy
The Vision Pro is out and we all expected it to be a pretty impactful device. But while the jury is still out on whether it is one of the best VR headsets of all time, since this spatial computer is very different from something like the Quest 3, we can all agree that Apple’s headset is special indeed.
Even if you're not a big Apple fan, you've got to give props to how the company integrated its ecosystem in the Vision Pro. The seamless way in which everything works is really impressive, regardless of brand loyalty.
And Beat Saber — one of the best games for the Quest 3 — has been a best selling VR game since basically forever, so of course that it's on top of the list.
Mere days ago, we talked about how someone already got Steam VR running on the Vision Pro through ALVR — an open-source alternative to AirLink. Just days later, ports of renowned apps like iVRy and Virtual Desktop were announced for the Vision Pro too.
And now we’re continuing this — if you ask me, upwards-facing — trend with the next logical step: getting Beat Saber to work on the Vision Pro. And someone, of course, did that. Less than a month since Apple’s headset was released.
Oh, and for the record: there is no Beat Saber app, native to visionOS. This is the PC VR game being streamed to the Vision Pro, once again through ALVR.
Now, for the logical question:
Still, people want to unchain the Vision Pro from said ecosystem.
Because, I mean, why would it be chained there in the first place, right? So much of VR enthusiasts’ content is on PC or Android: it is what many of us are used to. So when someone like Apple introduces an awesome piece of tech such as the Vision Pro, it’s only natural for us to want to experience what we own through it.
Because, I mean, why would it be chained there in the first place, right? So much of VR enthusiasts’ content is on PC or Android: it is what many of us are used to. So when someone like Apple introduces an awesome piece of tech such as the Vision Pro, it’s only natural for us to want to experience what we own through it.
Mere days ago, we talked about how someone already got Steam VR running on the Vision Pro through ALVR — an open-source alternative to AirLink. Just days later, ports of renowned apps like iVRy and Virtual Desktop were announced for the Vision Pro too.
And now we’re continuing this — if you ask me, upwards-facing — trend with the next logical step: getting Beat Saber to work on the Vision Pro. And someone, of course, did that. Less than a month since Apple’s headset was released.
Oh, and for the record: there is no Beat Saber app, native to visionOS. This is the PC VR game being streamed to the Vision Pro, once again through ALVR.
Sorted out a bunch of jank and brought my own timewarp, getting very consistent performance in Beat Saber on visionOS ALVR now. Can turn my head quickly and not see the edge of the frame now, and it's less weird about translation movements now pic.twitter.com/FjtdVX1hzj
— Shiny Quagsire (@ShinyQuagsire) February 12, 2024
This is footage of Beat Saber being played on the Vision Pro.
Now, for the logical question:
But the Vision Pro doesn't come with controllers. How is this dude playing the game?
Well, through the not-so-elegant-or-easy-to-set-up-solution of two Valve Index controllers, tracked through a set of external trackers, all thanks to OpenVR Space Calibrator — another open source project.
If that didn’t mean much to you, basically: it’s time consuming and difficult to set up, but it leads to the game working in a playable, stable state on the Vision Pro.
If that didn’t mean much to you, basically: it’s time consuming and difficult to set up, but it leads to the game working in a playable, stable state on the Vision Pro.
And can you guess what that means? Hopefully in a couple of months, we can take things up a notch and have a solution that lets anyone experience PC VR content on the Vision Pro without much hassle.
And, personally, I can’t wait. But also I won’t be mad if we get a Vision Pro version of Beat Saber. Just saying.
And, personally, I can’t wait. But also I won’t be mad if we get a Vision Pro version of Beat Saber. Just saying.
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