Glider Sim on Meta Quest: Paraglide over Google Earth’s stunning terrain
The VR flight simulation Glider Sim combines paragliding with Google Earth to create a truly sublime VR experience.
There are now a number of VR apps for Meta Quest that allow you to explore the world through Google Earth. So far, I have tried and written about Wooorld, Fly and Earth Quest.
But none of these apps use Google Earth VR as the basis for a realistic flight simulation. Glider Sim fills this gap. It lets you choose from a variety of ultralight aircraft: a paraglider, a motorized paraglider trike, a mini paraglider, a speedwing, or a hang glider.
The base game features three landscapes: Sun Valley and the Grand Teton in the USA, and Walenstadt in the Swiss Alps. But things really get fascinating and visually appealing when you upgrade to the Earth Online Plus subscription, which unlocks an authentic Google Earth experience in VR. I tried it with my Quest 3.
A flight over familiar landscapes
Glider Sim offers a three-part tutorial that introduces you to the basics of paragliding. You will learn how to take off, how to navigate in the air, and how to use upwinds and thermals to your advantage. I have never flown a paraglider before, but I quickly found my way around.
To fly, just grab the brake handles and lean forward. Within seconds, you'll be soaring over the virtual landscape like a bird.
There are twelve environments available in Google Earth mode, but you can fly anywhere in the world. You locate your starting point on a map and load the environment. Depending on the complexity of the environment, this can take a minute or more to fully load.
I chose a peak on a nearby mountain that I had hiked several times. The time of day for the flight can be adjusted, so I floated down from this peak to the valley at dusk, which was a new and wonderful experience. Visual aids for thermals and wind direction can be turned off to maximize immersion.
A meditative VR experience
The flight sim also features a customizable dynamic weather system, advanced flight physics for special maneuvers, challenges with leaderboards, and multiplayer support.
I think I will use Glider Sim mainly for the immersive flying experience, and I can also see it as a meditation app to relax at the end of the day.
A word of caution for those who suffer from motion sickness. Although Glider Sim has a vignette mode, the constant smooth turns may be a challenge for some.
Glider Sim can be purchased from the Horizon Store and Steam.
You can try Earth Online Plus free for the first 30 days, then it costs $3 per month or $17 per year. This is on top of the $30 purchase price. The same prices apply to the SteamVR version of the game.
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