Breakdown
- Thanks to the ALVR software, Half Life Alyx is now playable using the Apple Vision Pro. Well, sort of
- The game uses hand tracking instead of controllers, but the performance hasn’t been the best, according to users
- However, it’s exciting progress regardless of current performance, and a good idea of what PCVR will be like on Apple’s headset
While the Apple Vision Pro has never been marketed as a gaming headset, there's plenty of people that are upset with the fact that the pricey "spatial computing" device isn't as big with the gaming market. However, a new app lets you stream the best PCVR game to your Apple Vision Pro, with some caveats.
While it might be a better option to pick up one of the best VR headsets to play one of the best PCVR games on your desktop, Half Life Alyx is now playable on the Apple Vision Pro. If it comes down to the Quest 3 vs Apple Vision Pro, we'd recommend the former, but if you've already invested in the Apple Vision Pro despite the reviews for the expensive headset, this should be a good workaround to play some PCVR games.
As spotted by Flat2VR on Twitter, using the ALVR software on PC and the accompanying Testflight version of ALVR, you can now play Half Life Alyx using the Apple Vision Pro. It uses hand tracking, due to the fact that the Apple Vision Pro doesn't offer controllers with the device, meaning you can be truly immersed within the role of Alyx.
Unfortunately, it's not the best experience. The video shared by Flat2VR has noticeable stutter from the hand tracking, and other users report low resolution and bitrate, or "puke-inducing framerates", as one player mentioned. In any case, if you own a Quest headset, it might be better to play the game via the new Steam Link app instead.
However, there's no doubt that this is pretty exciting. The brilliant specs within the Apple Vision Pro would make this an incredible experience once its working in the best shape, and while it we're still not going to buy the expensive headset solely for PCVR games, we may think about getting the Apple Vision Pro cheaper version in the future.
Alternatively, if you're looking for a pricey VR headset to play your Steam games, you may want to check out a PSVR 2. While it doesn't support it yet, PC support is being looked into for PSVR 2, and Sony is already quietly unlocking it. In fact, there's already an unofficial driver for PSVR 2 on PC, but it requires additional hardware to use. Nevertheless, it's certainly an exciting time in the niche realm of virtual reality, and we're looking forward to see what the rest of 2024 offers.