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We’ve seen a significant amount of support for the Oculus Quest since its release in May, and quite a bit of that support is a surprising number of ports from PC VR headsets to the platform. While it may not sound like much to “simply” port a game over from an already-existing VR headset to another one, the Oculus Quest isn’t just any old VR headset; it’s a completely standalone head-mounted display (HMD) that doesn’t require any PC or console to run it, and it doesn’t require any kind of external sensors or cameras to be installed either.
At its heart is the same mobile chipset that powered flagship smartphones from 2017, like the Samsung Galaxy S8 or the Google Pixel 2. Given that mobile processors are already significantly underpowered when compared to what can be found in a top-of-the-line gaming computer or a dedicated gaming machine that’s not battery-powered, it makes porting these kinds of titles to a significantly less powerful system even more impressive.
But it’s not often that we see developers going out of their way to create a custom version of a popular gaming engine for their game, especially when it significantly enhances the visuals the way Red Matter’s Oculus Quest port does.
In the video below, you’ll find several examples of how Red Matter developers Vertical Robot are going to blow Quest owners’ minds when the game releases on August 15th. It’s a stunning testament to development know-how and a confirmation that Vertical Robot is made up of “industry veterans” that not only are good at what they do, but care about gaming as an art.
Red Matter is a story-driven VR puzzle adventure game set during a dystopian sci-fi Cold War. It’s an incredibly unique story and environment that’s full of interesting settings, brilliant puzzles, and a fascinating story that’s a unique blend of Cold War era history and the challenge of space travel that drove countries to beat each other with technology and espionage.
Red Matter is currently available for all PC VR headsets, including the HTC Vive and Valve Index on SteamVR, and the Oculus Rift and Oculus Rift S on the Oculus Store. It’s also available for the PlayStation VR on the PlayStation Store via the PS4 system.
Oculus hedged its bets on a mobile chipset that, on the surface level, appears to be a significantly underpowered piece of equipment but it’s clear that the design put into the Quest is more than meets the eye. For decades now, consoles have shown that having a tightly developed set of tools and a fixed hardware configuration can prove to be significantly more beneficial for gamers and developers alike than a complicated, upgradeable model.
We’re certainly seeing the fruits of Oculus’ and Facebook’s labor when it comes to Quest development, as well as all the time and effort that’s gone into testing and creation of the Oculus ecosystem. This kind of port should give plenty of hope to folks who are planning to pick up an Oculus Quest or who have already found a way to procure a unit for themselves (it’s not easy to find one).