VR Spacewalk

Space may be beautiful and vast, but it’s also incredibly deadly and unpredictable, especially if you are not a well-trained astronaut. Hence, it takes years of training for someone to be accepted as an astronaut, not to mention the fact that only a few can be up there at any given time. However, all the training in the world is worth it, especially once you finally go on a spacewalk.

VR Spacewalk is a virtual reality experience that aims to provide you with the chance to experience the same feeling without all the hassle associated with it. In short, this is a simulator designed for the Oculus Rift HMD, and it’s even a bit interactive. You don’t get to fly spaceships or do any actual astronaut work, but the atmosphere is quite thrilling and engaging.

Speaking of which, you have control over two joysticks, both of which can be used to steer or rotate the motorized chair. It may take you a while to get used to the control scheme, but it’s a lot easier if you use a controller yourself. Hence, the two analog sticks come in handy, but a keyboard can also be used if you do not have a gameplay. On top of it all, it’s the view that matters the most anyway.

Although most of your time is spent trying to steer and avoid crashing into the ISS, it wouldn’t be fun if you couldn’t admire the view. You can do that by simply turning your head, but the whole vehicle can be turned around if you wish to get a better look at the Earth. Speaking of which, the developers used actual images from NASA to map the surface of the planet, so it should be as realistic as it gets.

The graphics engine is not particularly powerful, or at least not in this case, but the special effects look pretty well. There might be some trouble with the textures, but everything else is smooth and clean. On the other hand, there could be some issues with your HMD as well, such as the game starting with the camera rotated 180 degrees. Most of these issues can be solved by downloading the correct version, on the other hand, depending on your Oculus Rift version.

VR Spacewalk is a great simulation, and it even allows you to participate in the spacewalk, which is a lot cooler than a simple non-interactive experience. The graphics are mesmerizing as well.