Minecraft Goes VR: How Will The Microsoft Game Adjust On Virtual Reality?

Microsoft is truly expanding their reach with Minecraft. This time, the game will be converted into the virtual reality platform.

Since 2016 is the year for virtual reality, Microsoft did not wait too long for its integration with Minecraft. The game will now partner with Samsung Gear VR to create the Minecraft: Gear VR Edition.

The Minecraft: Gear VR Edition is available for $6.99 and is currently available at the Oculus Store.

Apparently, Oculus has been working with Microsoft for some time now to develop Minecraft: Gear VR. The game will have two modules: one would be an avatar-controlled experience, while the other would be a more immersive virtual reality environment.

Oculus provided a short clip to preview how Minecraft: Gear VR would work. The video shows the difference between playing the basic Minecraft version versus the VR take. With the VR, the users would have to connect to their Samsung Gear device to activate the VR mode.

Though the majority of the Minecraft premise stays the same, the VR experience was quite impressive. Some users even commended this partnership and said that it was a “great idea.”

Another user who has tested out the Minecraft: Gear VR noted, “Just hit the touchpat and it goes into full VR mode. Also make sure you turn 3D rendering on for full immersion. It’s pretty amazing.”

Old Minecraft users also said that the innovation have made them go back to the game. Because Minecraft could be repetitive at times, adding the VR function made it a lot more exciting to play.

Pre-Launch Success for Minecraft: Gear VR

Though there have been multiple blows on Oculus and the VR industry, it is good that Minecraft has already received a lot of positive reviews on their pre-launch.

It was a lot different from how the Adr1ft game was perceived by the public. According to Engadget, the Minecraft: Gear VR is “one of the best and more immersive VR experiences I’ve had thus far.” The fact that Minecraft generally has a pixelated graphics helped the game.

Chris Kohler from Wired also noted how fascinating the VR version was.

“Holy crap, kids are going to flip over this. It’s one thing to build a giant mountain out of low-res blocks; it’s quite another to stare upward and see your massive creation towering over you.”

Even Oculus founder Palmer Luckey was proud and impressed of the outcome of the game.

“It makes it feel like you’re actually inside of the world of Minecraft and not just the stock Minecraft world, but all of these servers that you can join where you hang out with people. It is in some ways the closest thing that we have to a Metaverse.”

Some Minecraft gamers wonder if the gameplay would be a lot different from what they used to know. Luckey, on the other hand, assured gamers that Microsoft had worked very hard to make sure the essence of the game stayed the same.

They had to tweak the interface, but the fundamentals remained the same.

With the massive distribution of Oculus in the market, it will not be long when every kid and adult Minecraft gamer would have their hands on the latest Minecraft: Gear VR.

To play the Minecraft: Gear VR, users would need to play the game on a Samsung Device and should have a Samsing VR Gear which costs $99.

[Image via Shutterstock]