Grand Theft Auto V VR is probably one of the most requested VR ports we’ve seen over the last few years.
There is one existing mod that lets you play the Rockstar classic with a headset, but you’ll need the Vorpx VR driver. It costs about $35. Launched over the weekend, though, a new mod takes another shot at letting you play the game without that software. It’s not the first, but it is one of the easier ones to install.
Modder LukeRoss, who last year released a VR mod of No One Lives Forever 2, is behind this one. After a fairly simple installation process, you can jump into GTA V in VR using a standard gamepad. I couldn’t take any video footage because the frames shift the position of characters and items, making it blurry.
In the moments where the mod works it sings; sitting in the driver seat of a car or methodically picking off targets with head-tracking is great in VR. Los Santos is one of gaming’s best-realized locations and it translates to VR really well. I was particularly amused by all the times I’d get distracted driving, only to turn my head back to the road seconds before a massive collision.
But there’s far too many road bumps along the way to make this a viable way to play the game. GTA V’s moments of freedom are often interrupted by cutscenes that quickly drum up a headache in VR. The camera zooms in close and makes it impossible to tell what’s going on. I simply had to close my eyes during the regular cuts to these moments. Precise aiming, meanwhile, requires the camera to zoom in closer to the action, which feels stiff.
This is strictly for having some fun in the sandbox side of the game, then, rather than trying to tackle the story. Even then, the forced animations getting into and jumping out of cars left me feeling pretty dizzy after about 45 minutes of play.
This is an admirable attempt and likely quite enjoyable for VR masochists with iron stomachs. Personally, I’ll keep on holding out for when GTA V gets actual official VR support. If it can happen for L.A. Noire then who knows?
