Is VR karaoke fun? We tried Songbird on Meta Quest 3
The VR game Songbird brings karaoke to Meta Quest. I grabbed the virtual microphone to test the experience for you.
Songbird piqued my interest as soon as it was announced, especially since the VR karaoke game requires no accessories and is designed for single-player sessions. So you don't have to worry about embarrassing yourself.
How much fun you will ultimately have with the game depends largely on how much you like the songs available. Since last week's launch, 33 tracks are available in the game, including the following:
- Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline
- Laufey - From The Start
- The Interrupters - Raised By Wolves
- Evanescence - Bring Me To Life
- B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars - Nothin' On You
- Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive
- Lorde - Royals
- Billie Eilish - i love you
- Selena Gomez - Love You Like A Love Song
- ABBA - Dancing Queen
- Miley Cyrus - Party in the U.S.A.
- Flipturn - August
- Tyler Hubbard- Dancin' In The Country
- Grace Oliver and George Wilson's Enigma Ensemble - Habanera
- Limahl - Never Ending Story
- Paramore - Ain't It Fun
- Sublime - Badfish
- Seal - Kiss From A Rose
I couldn't find a complete list online, but there is a Songbird setlist with 30 of the 33 songs on Spotify, so you can listen to it if you're in doubt. The studio Always Blue Games has also promised DLC with new songs for next year.
Having ignored most pop music for the past two decades, I only have a handful of songs from the '80s and '90s, including my favorite, "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley. But that was enough to give me a taste of the virtual karaoke experience.
What I found to be sorely lacking is an audio preview of the songs in the song selection screen. This made me hesitant to try new songs because I had no idea what they sounded like.
Here's what Songbird offers
My first gig was in a garden with a pond and giant mushrooms, a house that looks like a piano and a drumming plush crocodile.
Lyrics and note names are displayed on a floating teleprompter, while pitches are displayed in front of the microphone for those who know how to sing. The vocals can be turned on and off, depending on how well you know the song and whether you want to hear your voice, as there is no amplification of the microphone input. I would have liked at least a recording function so I can listen and evaluate my performance afterward.
In addition to the singing, which is tracked and evaluated by the game in real time, there are other interactive elements. Occasionally, you are asked to put your hands in the air and catch notes flying towards you with the microphone, similar to rhythm games. There are also air guitar and dance sequences in which you can improvise.
The rhythm game elements, as well as the virtual environment, can be turned off. If the colorful hustle and bustle gets too much for you, simply switch to passthrough mode, leaving only the teleprompter and microphone.
VR Karaoke is a solitary affair
Songbird offers three modes of play. Standard mode lets you choose songs and difficulty levels and get started right away. There is also a rehearsal mode, where you can repeat and practice selected passages, and a performance mode, where you are presented with songs and can unlock new environments.
You can't fail in Songbird, no matter how badly you sing. However, more ambitious singers can collect points for their singing skills and compete with others on leaderboards.
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There is no multiplayer mode, which is a real shame. Karaoke is usually a social experience, and Songbird is more of a solitary affair. A multiplayer option with avatars would have helped to alleviate this fact. But at least you can practice with the game to impress your friends at the next round of karaoke.
Returning to the headline question of whether VR karaoke is fun, I have to say that my enjoyment of Songbird was limited. Only a handful of songs appealed to my personal taste, and the virtual environments are more of a gimmick than a real addition. I must add that singing is not a hobby of mine and I cannot judge how good Songbird is as a singing tool. If you love to sing and are interested in improving your singing, Songbird might be worth a look, especially with the new songs coming out next year.
You can purchase Songbird from the Horizon Store.
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