“Why can’t we just have VR versions of every game?” It’s a question that has come up many times over the past few years. With every amazing launch of a big budget VR port and with every botched launch of a half baked tech demo, the chorus gets louder and louder. Yet every time the question has been asked, we’ve been met with a different excuse as to why it’s just not possible.
We’ve been told that our hardware isn’t strong enough to handle it, or that VR is too isolating. Some have said that 3rd person games won’t work in VR. We’ve even been told that there isn’t enough demand, and that there’s no money in it. However, as time passed and the rejections started to pile up, something special happened. A community was formed, made up of thousands of individuals who just wouldn’t take no for an answer.
A Movement is Born
All the way back in 2020, while the outside world was bickering about masks and jabs, Elliott Tate was building a home for all of the like-minded VR malcontents that weren’t quite ready to move on from their catalog of classic flat screen games. With that, the Flat2VR community was born; a place where developers, tinkerers and fans alike could combine their efforts and make magic happen, inside their headsets.
Over the course of the last few years, the Flat2VR community has proven, time and time again, that anything is possible when skill, innovation and motivation align. One by one, we have seen the classics converted to VR, from Resident Evil to Doom, from Half Life to Cyberpunk 2077. In a very short period of time, this community has not only proven that today’s VR hardware can handle these games, but that there’s also a huge demand for them.
So then, what comes next? Today, Impact Reality has announced the formation of Flat2VR Studios, a first of its kind development studio, dedicated to bridging the divide between traditional and VR gaming. This brand new studio stands as a natural evolution of the community that it’s named for, and has already partnered with key figures from within the scene, to achieve a collective goal.
“The Flat2VR community has proven there is a tremendous appetite to experience cherished games in an entirely new way with virtual reality,” said Elliott Tate, partner at Impact Reality and founder of the Flat2VR community. “With Flat2VR Studios, we’re thrilled to work directly with the best developers to create official, high-quality VR versions of hit titles, available directly on VR storefronts such as Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, and Steam.”
A Team of VR Visionaries
Leading the charge at Flat2VR Studios are renowned figures from the VR modding scene. Cabalistic, known for his successful adaptation of Half-Life 2 into VR, and Raicuparta, who has transformed titles like Outer Wilds, Firewatch, and Neon White into captivating VR experiences, are at the forefront of this initiative. Their expertise, combined with the skills of other accomplished modders, positions Flat2VR Studios as ground zero in the VR adaptation space.
In addition to their already impressive roster of in-house developers, Flat2VR Studios has also announced a partnership with Team Beef, the accomplished group of developers known for their VR adaptations of iconic games such as Doom, Doom 3, Quake 3, the original Half-Life, Return to Castle Wolfenstein and more. This exciting collaboration further enhances the studio’s capability to deliver the kind of high-quality experiences that today’s VR gamer demands.
“So many flat screen games offer rich worlds and stories that would be incredible to experience in VR with full immersion,” said Jasmine Uniza, Impact Reality co-founder and CEO. “Our goal is to empower the talented Flat2VR creators to transform these games into must-play VR titles, and make them accessible to VR gamers everywhere on official platforms.”
Stay Tuned
In conclusion, it is a very exciting time to be a VR gamer. It seems as if the restrictions and barriers that have long surrounded VR gaming are finally beginning to topple and a new era is at hand where truly anything is possible. Which titles do you want Flat2VR Studios to convert? Let us know by commenting below and for the latest news on Flat2VR Studios, visit the official website and stay tuned to XR Update.
6
1 Comment
Unreal (1998) would be fantastic as a VR experience.