Star Citizen’s new experimental VR mode offers an immersive 3D experience of its detailed universe, significantly enhancing ship exploration and flight with improved spatial awareness, though it currently lacks full body tracking and has some control limitations. While setup and performance can be challenging, especially requiring high-end hardware, the feature provides a promising glimpse into the future of space simulation gaming with ongoing improvements expected.
Star Citizen has introduced an experimental VR feature in its latest PTU patch 4.5, with plans to bring it to the live game by the end of the year. This new VR mode allows players with compatible headsets to immerse themselves in the vast and detailed universe of Star Citizen like never before. However, the experience is still in its early stages and comes with some limitations, such as the lack of full body tracking, hand presence, or controller-based interactions. Players essentially have their heads “glued” to their characters, meaning gameplay remains fundamentally the same but now experienced through a fully 3D perspective.
Setting up Star Citizen VR can be challenging due to the experimental nature of the feature and the need to coordinate between the VR headset, runtime, and the game itself. For instance, the Pimax Open XR runtime may not work immediately, often requiring players to switch to Steam VR for proper headset detection. Additionally, performance tuning is critical, especially managing super sampling settings to avoid crashes and maintain playable frame rates. Even with high-end hardware like an RTX 5090 and a powerful CPU, the game can struggle in dense areas, so a top-tier system is recommended for the best VR experience.
The standout aspect of Star Citizen VR is the incredible sense of scale and detail it brings to the game’s ships, interiors, and environments. Familiar ships like the Carrick, 400i, and F7A feel more spacious and detailed when viewed in VR, enhancing appreciation for the developers’ meticulous attention to modeling and textures. Flying in VR adds a new level of spatial awareness and immersion, especially with glass canopy ships where players can see the terrain below in stunning detail. Depth perception in VR also improves gameplay elements like racing and combat, allowing for more intuitive distance judging and situational awareness.
On-foot gameplay in VR is more mixed due to the current control limitations. Players must use mouse and keyboard, and while the head movement is decoupled from weapon aiming to reduce nausea, this can feel awkward initially. Iron sights are difficult to use because of the physicalized weapon model, but holographic sights work well and provide accurate aiming. However, high magnification scopes are not functional in VR yet because of how the game handles zoom, and future updates might adopt picture-in-picture scopes to solve this issue.
Regarding the VR hardware, the Pimax Crystal Super headset used in the video offers a significant upgrade over older models, with higher resolution and better comfort. It uses inside-out tracking and supports prescription lenses, making it versatile and user-friendly. While the headset is not mandatory for Star Citizen VR, it provides a high-quality experience. Overall, Star Citizen VR is not yet for everyone due to its demanding requirements and unfinished features, but it offers a genuinely immersive glimpse into the future of space simulation gaming. The feature is expected to improve with better UI adaptations, body tracking, and interaction methods over time.