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PC VR retro hit "Compound" comes to Quest 2

PC VR retro hit
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November 30, 2022:

Compound will be released for Meta Quest 2 in a timely manner.

Update November 30, 2022:

Compound is finally coming for Meta Quest 2 (review) after a long wait. On Twitter, Solo developer Bevan McKechnie announces that Compound premieres on the standalone headset on December 8, 2022.

Original article from June 30, 2020:

Lots of movement and retro graphics: Compound, a shooter developed for PC VR, is made for Meta Quest. Now the developer confirms that the game will be ported for the standalone VR headset.

Compound is a roguelite shooter with graphics and gameplay reminiscent of 3D classics like Doom and Duke Nukem - only in and for virtual reality.

In 2017, I first encountered Compound and wrote, "Compound feels futuristic precisely because it comes in a graphical guise reminiscent of decades-old first-person shooters. Playing it, I felt like Wade Watts from Ready Player One taking on Oasis' VR adaptation of a classic game to get to Halliday's Easter Egg."

The fast-paced gameplay requires high responsiveness and agility. The problem: Until now, you've had to rely on a cable to play. The game launched in Early Access in 2018, but only on Steam and for PC VR headsets.

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Solo developer Bevan "NotDead" McKechnie has since been providing Compound with massive amounts of fresh content. Compound received 17 updates last year alone, which brought six new weapons, five new mini-bosses, and two large bosses.

Compound Quest version "guaranteed to come"

What's next for Compound? McKechnie writes me that he wants to finish the VR game before December and lead it out of the Early Access phase.

Thereafter, he says, work will begin on the Quest port. "The game should run on Oculus Quest with minimal adjustments," McKechnie says. He cites the end of 2020 as the time frame for a release, but that could still change. The game should be released simultaneously on the Rift and Quest Store, he says.

McKechnie has not yet submitted the application for approval in the Quest Store. Oculus has contacted him in the past asking for a Rift port, he said. Compound is only available on Steam so far, with Oculus Rift (S) officially supported. McKechnie replied to Oculus that he wanted to lead the game out of Early Access first.

Getting it into the Quest Store is likely to be more difficult, as Oculus has higher quality criteria here. Compound undoubtedly has what it takes.

The most recent game update was released on July 29, 2020, at the same time as an updated free demo. If you haven't tried Compound yet, you now have the opportunity to see for yourself. The regular game is available on Steam and costs $19.99.