VR experience?

[Dr.Corpse]

SO i have universe sandbox legacy, and i fired it up and my 2- and 4-yo who are super into space spent a good 15 minutes looking at the colored balls inside the solar system.

I was thinking about getting the full version, since i have a VR headset, so how is the VR experience? is it possible to have someone watch the simulation through VR and another person control it with mouse+kb from the outside? is it usable as educational tool?

The legacy versions UI is somewhat wonky at best, so "flying" around different planets in our solar systems and exploring saturns moons for example is somewhat tedious especially when you have a 4yo who wants to try it himself.

[rucksackseb]

Hey Dr.Corpse!
Since no one replied so far, I'll do my best.

I play with the Index VR Headset and can tell you that you can see on your TV/screen everything that the person with the headset is seeing.

Mouse and keyboard, that's - from my experiences - maybe not possible. At least I didn't find out so far. If I start the game via SteamVR, take off my headset and try to control with mouse and keyboard, it's not working --> only via headset + VR controller.

Educational tool? For sure it's amazing to get an impression of the planets, to see the impacts of an asteroid, a tennis ball or if the Moon collided with the Earth. Also lovely to teach the importance of Jupiter (catching Asteroids) and seeing the effects if planets disappeared or there were more (e.g. theory of Planet 9). The effects of the seasons on Earth can be demonstrated, etc!

Only problem about that: In the Universe Sandbox VR version you can't control from the outside (mouse/keyboard) - at least I haven't found so far. So the player also has to do the changes in the parameters - he/she needs a verbal instruction from you. And for a 4 year old person it's pretty a lot and way too complicated. I already struggled the first days to get familiar with the movements, the actions, etc.

In conclusion: maybe if you work enough with your 4 y.o. child, you can make it somehow work - with explaining every step and tool he/she has to use. But it'll be very difficult since the player has to have the ability to READ. No sense if you say "Click on Laser", but the child can't read the word "Laser" ^.^

The 2 yo has no chance: reading, difficult interface and in general the ability to hold a controller, having fine motorics and following your instructions with a high reliability... Don't think for that one it'll work out :)

Hope this helps you! And I'll search for ways to make the keyboard run. Text you soon, hopefully with positive results :)

[rucksackseb]

Looked up in the discussions here on Steam and it seems like there is no mouse/keyboard support in VR.

[Dr.Corpse]

bought it, the keyboard and mouse controls missing in VR is a visible hindrance. oh, my 4-yo reads, so he can zoom in between the stellar objects with labels :D

but yea, we are rn more excited about using the big screen version rather than the VR, VR seems a bit scary to him. KBM controls to VR would be a definite thing this game needs in future, KBM is way easier to use even with goggles on than controllers.