Pickleball now plays without a VR headset, including mixed VR and desktop matches
The VR sports game Pickleball can now be played entirely on a monitor. Viniot Studios added a full desktop mode on October 17 that works with keyboard and mouse or a gamepad, no headset needed.
Viniot Studios publishes six screenshots on Pickleball's Steam store page. Image: Viniot Studios
Local multiplayer lets two people share one PC, either both on screen or with one in VR and the other at the desk. Most VR games that support players without a headset need two machines for that. Two days later the studio fixed the VR player's aiming in local matches.
Earlier patches had added some desktop play, but this update is the first to open the whole game on a monitor.
Cross-play and a smarter bot
Steam players can now be matched with people on Pico headsets and phones as well. Viniot's descriptions of which platforms are included vary from post to post, and the Steam page also lists Quest and PS VR2.
Pickleball has been on Steam since March 15, 2026. Image: Viniot Studios
Players who are not in VR appear as full-body avatars that walk, serve and swing. The update also fixes dropped connections, score and serve sync problems and freezes, and a match now waits 30 seconds for a disconnected player before ending.
The computer opponent has been reworked too. It times its swings better, plays soft dinks on low balls, bends its knees and predicts the bounce on returns. After a win it now pumps its paddle overhead.
The store listing carries Steam's VR Supported badge. Image: Viniot Studios
Going the other way
The Steam page promises nine sports and 27 environments, including padel and badminton, though Viniot hasn't said whether all of them work in desktop mode.
Viniot Studios is both developer and publisher. Image: Viniot Studios
Most VR sports games stay VR-only. Racket Club, which made pickleball an official sport in 2025, still requires a headset on Steam. Pickleball costs $14.99 and has been on Steam since March.
