Half-Life: Alyx turns five and is as cheap as ever on Steam
Half-Life: Alyx was released five years ago today. If you haven't played it yet, you can currently pick it up at a bargain price.
Half-Life: Alyx remains a monolith in the VR industry. The highest-rated PC game of 2020 according to Metacritic, it is still considered by many VR enthusiasts to be the best VR game of all time.
At the time, it seemed like a gift from a distant future where virtual reality was already the gaming mainstream, the preferred way to play games. In fact, such production values have rarely been seen since.
The VR revolution that some had hoped for failed to materialize, and PC VR remained a niche within a niche, but Half-Life: Alyx showed what was possible in the realm of VR gaming with the power of a PC. And it still serves as a beacon today.
Also for historical reasons, it was a unique gaming experience that I will always remember. The lockdown in my country was declared a few days before the release and the dystopia of Half-Life: Alyx seemed eerily real because of certain parallels. The game and reality blended together in an uncomfortable way.
What are your memories of the launch of Half-Life? Alyx? And what do you think of it today? Let us know in the comments below.
2025 could be a big year for Valve and VR
What's next for Valve and VR?
The Valve Index VR headset will be six years old in June, and if the rumors are true, the company could launch a successor this year, possibly with a new VR game developed by Valve.
In any case, it would be desirable for Valve to bring a breath of fresh air to the Meta-dominated industry and the still leading PC VR platform SteamVR, on which 70 percent of VR gamers play with Meta headsets.
If you haven't played Half-Life: Alyx yet, you can still purchase it on Steam for $17 until March 27. The standard price is $60.
Are you interested in VR and AR? Join the conversation on Facebook, Bluesky or X or share your opinion in the comments below.
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