Gaming enthusiasts have been quite pleased with Subnautica in recent weeks. It is one of the most popular games on streaming platforms such as Twitch. Few people seem to be aware Subnautica also supports a VR mode, available to users of the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. It is perfectly possible to play it without VR, though, even though users will miss out on quite the experience. The game is worth the full $24.99 price, especially if you own a compatible VR headset.
Subnautica in VR is Breathtaking
An underwater game in virtual reality will be either excellent or an absolute disaster. Especially for a game such as Subnautica, the inclusion of VR support seems to work out quite well. The immersion provided by this game is off the shelves right now, and the underwater world looks as crisp in VR as it does without. Moreover, the game has so much content to explore, players will hardly ever run out of things to do as they progress through the story. It is evident the developers made a smart choice by including VR support.
One downside to playing Subnautica in virtual reality is how it only supports head tracking. This both adds to the immersion and also makes it somewhat difficult to see everything. Especially for those users who suffer from simulator sickness, a head tracking-based underwater experience may not be the best course of action. There are many things to see, observe, scan, and enjoy. All of this will need to be controlled with your head, which can sometimes lead to some queasy situations.
It is expected Subnautica will receive motion controller support as well, although no official date has been announced. The game itself is extremely fun to play and there is so much to do there is no reason not to buy it. Being able to play it in VR is an added bonus, even though it is not a requirement to play in this mode whatsoever. Some minor bugs are still present, including items blocking your view, menus not scaling properly, and the HUD not displaying the information you want to see at that time. None of these is game breaking, mind you, but it’s something to be wary of.
In the end, we can only recommend HTC Vive and Oculus Rift owners give Subnautica a try in VR. Those who do not have a VR headset will miss out on an immersive world, even though the ‘normal” game does a stellar job in this department already. Everyone should pick up if this game, especially if you are a fan of the survival genre. Do keep in mind there will be a few scary moments along the way, and they look even more frightening in VR. It’s best to play this game while sitting down to avoid ay uneasy feeling.
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