I’m a huge fan of VR, especially for games with an emphasis on exploration. Skyrim VR is a favorite of mine, for nothing else than experiencing its world in true first-person. It seems fitting, then, for a game like Elden Ring, lauded for its open-world of endless expeditions, to have a virtual reality mode for maximum immersion. Well, I’m happy to report such a VR mode exists for the game, but not from, say, an official source.
FromSoftware, the developer behind Elden Ring, has nothing to do with creating a VR mode for the game. Sure, it’s possible such a feature is being worked on behind the scenes, but as far as we know, there are no officials plans here. But that’s one of the best parts of PC gaming: If something doesn’t exist, someone can make it happen on their own. As it happens, that’s exactly how we’re getting Elden Ring VR.
Meet Luke Ross, something of an expert when it comes to VR modding. Ross has been making virtual reality mods for AAA titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, Grand Theft Auto V, and Cyberpunk: 2077 since 2017. Elden Ring is only two months old, but Ross is already nearing completion of a VR prototype for the game, as you can see from the video below:
If you thought your initial play-through of Elden Ring was breathtaking, imagine how you’d feel experiencing those first steps surrounded by the Lands Between. Speaking of which, Ross designed this mod to be played in first-person, which obviously goes against the third-person perspective of the game. While you can play this VR mod in third-person, Ross encourages players to stick the first-person, since the third-person field of view is so wide here.
In addition, don’t be surprised if the experience is a bit overwhelming, especially if you aren’t used to intense VR games. While Ross has made sure the camera stays locked to your “head,” keeping the perspective in check while rolling or jumping, he also says this game is really for players with “VR legs.” If you’re susceptible to motion sickness while playing certain VR games, you might find yourself a bit queasy here (though doing battle with Elden Ring’s creepy-ass enemies in first-person might make turn your stomach, anyway).
Now, Ross isn’t giving this VR experience away. In order to check it out for yourself, you’ll need to subscribe to Ross’ Patreon, which runs at $10 per month. Remember, though, you aren’t only gaining access to Elden Ring VR; a subscription also nets you all of Ross’ VR projects, as well as instructions and assistance for setting up the VR mods for your games.
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Ross’ Elden Ring mod isn’t live as of this article, but he claims the first prototype should be available to subscribers starting this week. If you’re interested in this project, or in Ross’ other VR ventures, you’ll want to keep an eye on this account.
In order to play the mod when it’s available, you’ll need a copy of Elden Ring on your PC, as well as compatible VR hardware. If you run into any issues trying to run the mod on your end, make sure to refer to the Patreon (it’s part of the subscription, after all).
[PC Gamer]