Space Pirate Trainer DX gets an update that improves Quest 3 graphics
Space Pirate Trainer DX received a graphics boost on Quest 3, but don't expect massive improvements.
Developer Dirk Van Welden writes on X that a new version of Space Pirate Trainer DX has been released which improves the graphics of Quest 3. Quest 2 also benefits from "small changes". The 1.97 update also includes some gameplay fixes.
Van Welden has added a video to the post (see below) showing gameplay footage from the improved Quest 3 version of Space Pirate Trainer DX.
I tried Space Pirate on Quest 3 a few months ago and was excited to see the improvements for myself. However, when I played it again, I couldn't see any significant improvements and couldn't tell what had been improved.
We've just released a new version of Space Pirate Trainer DX which improves graphics on Quest 3 ? (With some small changes om Q2 as well)
Here's some captures straight from the headset!Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/Kpqaxc7DcR
- Dirk Van Welden (@quarkcannon) May 8, 2024
Van Welden doesn't go into detail about what exactly has been improved, so I asked him. I will update the article if I get a response.
Update: Van Welden has replied. "Well, the environment is way more detailed (ships flying by) and 3D instead of a skybox. A lot of objects - mostly the drones have more detail and metallic/smoothness now. Higher res textures, higher framerate, better postfx."
The game is available on the Horizon Store for $20.
A hallmark VR game
Space Pirate Trainer is an arcade shooter that pits you against ever-increasing waves of drones and bosses.
It was a launch title for the HTC Vive (2016) and one of the first VR games to demonstrate the magic of dedicated VR controllers and room-scale VR. Features that the competing Oculus Rift, released the same year, lacked at launch.
Three years later, Space Pirate Trainer was a launch title for Oculus Quest (2019), making it possible to experience the game wirelessly on a standalone VR headset for the first time.
In the summer of 2021, a major update was released and the Quest version was renamed Space Pirate Trainer DX. The update introduced several multiplayer modes: Arena mode lets you play on a 100-square-meter area (either online or via local multiplayer), while Versus mode adds a multiplayer component to the game known from the single-player mode.
What I would like to see in the future is a mixed reality that lets you fight against the drones in a physical environment, preferably outdoors. That would be pretty cool.
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