Games @lemmy.world HBK @lemmy.dbzer0.com 5d ago

Minecraft is losing VR support next year

www.theverge.com Minecraft is losing VR support next year

No more VR block building.

Minecraft will officially stop supporting all virtual reality headsets after March 2025, according to an update posted to the Bedrock changelog. The update means Minecraft will no longer support devices like the Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality headsets, or the Meta Quest (through Quest Link), as reported earlier by UploadVR.

Last month, Minecraft developer Mojang also announced that the game would end support for PlayStation VR headsets next March. When Minecraft’s spring update rolls around, Mojang says you can “keep building in your worlds, and your Marketplace purchases (including Minecoins) will continue to be available on a non-VR/MR graphics device such as a computer monitor.”

As pointed out by UploadVR, you’ll still be able to play Minecraft in VR on PC by using the Java version of the game — either by downloading a VR mod like Vivecraft or using a standalone VR port such as QuestCraft.

Minecraft initially launched on Samsung’s Gear VR headsets in 2016 before adding support for the Oculus Rift, and PlayStation VR. Before ending support for VR, Mojang also shut down Minecraft Earth, its augmented-reality mobile app, in 2020.

16 comments

This is why Java edition and mods reign supreme.
- id love for the more optimized and less spaghetti-coded bedrock version wasnt so bad.
  
  but if they are gonna pull that crap id rather be on java forever.
  
  I been playing bedrock with my brother for a week now and it is good, mobs actually feel like a threat now and there are very small details to game. Like swords doing more damage to mobs than axes but when the mob is wet or is raining the axe does more damage.
I didn't even know Bedrock had a VR mode. I've tried the Vivecraft mod for Java and it worked very well, albeit required some settings changed to make the controls more natural
- I knew and even tried it before, but I completely forgot it existed because it sucked so much. Nobody can see you moving your hands and tilting your head, which kills all the fun of a VR multi-player game IMO. It's just a glorified controller binding for VR headsets. Considering all the other wacky things they added, I don't see why they didn't add actual VR support.
- I tried both, Vivecraft (being a project driven by passion) is vastly superior!
Why are they removing support though?
TBH it was pretty barebones, but I did enjoy seeing some of my worlds in stereoscopic 3D. It also scares me for the future of VR (minecraft is a REALLY popular game. If it is dropping VR does that mean adoption isn't going that well?).

Also, this is specifically regarding Bedrock minecraft. Java has never officially supported it, but there are mods that add the functionality.
- VR doesn't belong everywhere. There are good games for it but it needs to be purpose built and planned for. Not just a port of an existing game.
  
  Yeah but playing Minecraft in VR was pretty neat, even if it wasn't the greatest experience.
- https://www.statista.com/chart/29401/vr-gaming-penetration-rate-vs-video-game-penetration-global/
  
  https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/survey-says-half-of-developers-consider-vr-market-on-decline-or-stagnation
Huh. I had no idea you could play it in VR. Doesn't really seem like a game which would be at all enjoyable in VR tbh, too much movement - especially vertical and sudden. I do not enjoy the idea of facing a creeper in person lol
Still mods for java out there luckily. Sucks for PlayStation players though, that's how I first experienced VR.

And I think they had previously announced support for PSVR 2, but u guess that's not happening now.
I never play bedrock, because playing without mods is boring most of the time, (not to mention I actually like doing redstone) but did any bedrock players play in VR?

Obviously this doesn't affect Java, where we have a mod for that

16 comments