You can now download the Half-Life 2 VR mod on Steam
UPDATE- Half-Life 2 VR will be released on September 16. The VR modification requires the original Half-Life 2.
- You can reserve the mod here on SteamVR and download it at launch.
Update September 16, 2022:
Half-Life 2 VR was released on September 16. The VR modification requires the original Half-Life 2.
You can download the SteamVR mod here. You can read our preview here - Half-Lif 2 VR is excellent.
Article from August 26, 2022:
The years of waiting will soon come to an end: Half-Life 2 VR is in the starting blocks and should be even better after the launch.
As the mod team announced on the project's website, Half-Life 2 VR will be released in September. The mod has already been in a private beta test for months and will soon enter public beta.
"The overwhelmingly positive feedback from our private beta testers over the past few weeks has convinced us that the game as it is now can not only be fully completed from start to finish, but it’s also very enjoyable to do so, and we wish to give you the opportunity to experience it for yourselves," the mod team wrote.
MIXED colleague Max also participated in the private beta test and found Half-Life 2 VR to be better than the original flat HL 2 experience.
The team is waiting for Valve's response
It is still unclear whether the project will get the green light from Valve. Without a license, the team can't publish Half-Life 2 VR on Steam. That would make installation more cumbersome, but wouldn't hold up the release any further.
"We are still waiting for approval by Valve, and we do not know how much longer that will take," the mod team's blog reads. If the approval doesn't come, the mod will be released outside of Steam.
With the launch of the open beta, the project is not finished, on the contrary. In a roadmap, the team describes what they plan to do next. The team plans to add episodic support, overhaul weapons, improve movement and comfort, and revamp maps, assets, and textures.
"A project as large and ambitious as Half-Life 2: VR is never truly finished. There is a lot that we still want to do, and still want to improve on, to make it the best VR experience we possibly can."
Big plans for Half-Life 2 VR
For starters, the team wants to bring the two add-on episodes to VR. The majority of the expansions are already playable well, the team said, and after the launch of the open beta, the team plans to look into full VR support for Episode One and Two.
One area of the base game that could use some fine-tuning is the weapons. Many gadgets don't yet support hand poses, and some animations and effects are still missing or incomplete. "We are working on it and will gradually release updates as we make progress," it says.
The team also wants to improve controls and locomotion. The developers are thinking about support for teleportation and additional comfort options for vehicles.
The team is also working on revising 3D models and textures thanks to AI upscaling. The improvements are supposed to stay true to the original game. The maps are also to be overhauled and receive improved lighting, more details, and VR optimizations.
Half-Life 2: VR will be free, but requires a Steam installation of the original game.
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