Minecraft, arguably one of the most popular games on the planet can now be played in virtual reality. Well, that is if you have the Gear VR headset from Samsung. To start enjoying the game, download the game from the Facebook-owned Oculus Store for $6.99.
All the features from the Pocket Edition of the game is included in the virtual reality version. Customizable players skins, creative and survival modes and playing with others online are all included with the virtual reality edition of Minecraft.
It was only last fall when Minecraft for VR was teased and now it’s finally here. The theater view in the virtual reality version does feel like playing the game traditionally but this time, your field of view is wider. One of the best features is playing the game in first-person mode which is basically experiencing the world of Minecraft from the perspective of your character.
In order to play Minecraft, you will need a wireless gamepad. The team from Oculus recommends that you use the SteelSeries Stratus XL.
Minecraft is one of the biggest game franchises to take a chance on VR. For now, the game can be played exclusively using the $200 Samsung Gear VR which is for Samsung phones. Incidentally, if you get a new Samsung phone, you will be given a Gear VR. Those who want the game on the more high-end Oculus Rift VR headset will have to wait as a release is planned for the spring.
Minecraft, the block-building game, debuted on PC in 2009 and has grown its fan base since then. Fans from all over have bought millions of copies of the game on different platforms, be it desktop, mobile or console.
Now, enthusiasts of the game can get to play it on a virtual reality platform thanks to Samsung. Minecraft is now fully functional for use with the Gear VR which is the headset of Samsung. The Gear VR uses the latest Samsung phones as its display.
Virtual reality is expected to grow into a $40 billion business by 2020, according to analysts from SuperData Research. The nature of Minecraft makes it suitable to drive the kind of growth expected from the virtual reality market.
Early reviews of Minecraft on Gear VR have been impressive. Then again, the gameplay and mechanics should be familiar to those who have already played the game on their mobile, console or PC. While some may find themselves experiencing claustrophobia, particularly in the underground caves, the overall assessment is that the game played on the virtual reality platform is good. One can just marvel at the world in a way they’ve never experienced it before.
The Gear VR edition of Minecraft was developed by Microsoft and Mojang together with input from John Carmack, the coder of Doom and Quake and who is now chief technology officer at Oculus.
For Carmack, Minecraft is “a game that you can both figuratively and literally lose yourself in.” He also adds that his strongest memories of being inside virtual reality are “from the time I’ve spent exploring Minecraft on Gear VR.”