V-Racer Hoverbike Review: Perfect Blend Of Speed, Motion & Haptics

After greater than seven years in early entry for PC VR, V-Racer Hoverbike just lately hit full launch and in addition raced onto Quest, bringing futuristic hoverbikes you management together with your physique. Learn on for my full evaluate.

Velocity and Management 

If there may be one factor V-Racer actually nails, it is a thrilling sense of velocity. Earlier than you’ll be able to rev your engines as much as excessive sufficient RPMs to realize it, you’re going to want to grasp management first. It begins off with a short, in-menu tutorial, the place gamers study to enact the varied management strategies accessible for the hoverbike. As soon as I realized use both my physique, a set of digital handlebars, or the contact controller’s sticks, the sport positioned me onto the monitor for my first solo lap.

I actually like how V-Racer lets me place the bike earlier than hitting the monitor by grabbing it and shifting it right into a spot that appears and feels pure and aligned completely to my seated place. This further little bit of setup earlier than beginning a race ensures that I am all the time aligned with the bike in a approach that is most comfy for leaning. 

There’s a slight studying curve to stand up to hurry, although, however that’s all a part of the enchantment. For digital racers used to enjoying with a regular gamepad, the primary few laps can really feel disconnected, and it might really feel nearly awkward enjoying this manner. Nevertheless, combating the urge to default again to the old-school thumbstick technique of management sees the rewards in further immersion actually repay.

Happily for gamers who don’t need the physicality of utilizing their physique because the controller, V-Racer helps movement controller-only play too. Higher but, it lets you mix the management schemes by mixing chest motion and controller inputs after which fine-tuning the vary of movement till you determine what works greatest. Personally, the hybrid strategy of steering the bike by leaning with my higher physique and utilizing the controllers for small corrections hit the candy spot.

The third approach you’ll be able to management the bike, and what I assumed at first would have been essentially the most immersive and pure approach, is by reaching ahead and grabbing the in-game handlebars. On this case, the absence of one thing tactile and strong to grip onto was missed greater than anticipated. It’s by no means ultimate in VR video games to have gamers grabbing a digital controller as a result of this may really feel off when the soundness of the controls is not good. That turns into very obvious when attempting to control one thing like a digital HOTAS, steering wheel, or, in V-Racer’s case, handlebars.

Attempting to steer the bike with the digital steering column whereas utilizing movement controllers left my palms and arms waving round within the air and infrequently had me crossing them when attempting to show, which feels unnatural. A bodily handlebar mod for the contact controllers would more than likely shut that stability hole, although. It’s one thing I maintain enthusiastic about attempting to create each time my palms drift by way of the sport, flailing round midair at what appears like 200 miles an hour.

Sights & Sounds of the Observe

Visually, the PC VR model of V-Racer I used for my testing appears nice on Quest 3 utilizing Digital Desktop’s Godlike mode on my 4090. Even at excessive speeds, tracks retained readability and element with no movement blur or object pop-ins that I may see. The graphics appeared clear throughout the number of monitor environments the sport supplies.

On Quest 3 the visuals are good. Nevertheless, very like different video games on the headset, it is obvious that constancy and efficiency are held again by V-Racer supporting the growing old Quest 2 {hardware}. The place the PC model delivers a pointy and blur-free racing expertise on Quest 3 utilizing Digital Desktop or Hyperlink, the constraints by catering to the {hardware} constraints of a Quest 2 present on Quest 3. This seems as a visibly aliased picture that appears barely blurred and shimmering, particularly within the distance, which is essential for racing video games the place gamers must match visible distance cues to acceleration.

Efficiency additionally suffers barely on Quest. Hitting velocity ramps or developing on a pack of crowded rivals inside a tunnel typically brings seen body drops which aren’t current on the PC VR model. Whereas the sport nonetheless supplies an pleasant experience on each techniques, anybody with a gaming PC will get one of the best expertise on Steam.

One space the place the Quest model stands aside from its PC VR counterpart is the blended actuality mode that permits you to stroll round your life-size bike and participant and even work together with them by way of the sport’s livery system. You may make customized decals in addition to paint your bike and carry out different visible modifications. Seeing the hoverbike filling the ground of my studio at actual dimension is thrilling. With the ability to customise and adorn it’s extra satisfying than I anticipated.

V-Racer’s soundtrack additionally ramps up my sense of pleasure because the hoverbike’s engine roars and the wind howls whereas I am rocketing throughout the asphalt. The in-game music is pumping and drives momentum however by no means steps up to now ahead into the soundstage that you simply lose that very important hum of the bike or the sound of listening to a rival’s engine closing in from behind. Particulars like this are essential, particularly when driving at high speeds in digital actuality, the place each ounce of visible or auditory suggestions counts.

Modes for Each Temper 

V-Racer offers you loads of methods to play. I’ve spent a very good chunk of my playtime in Profession mode. That is the place you rise by way of a sequence of leagues, unlocking new bikes, fits, and customized skins as you progress. The gradual ramp-up in AI problem retains issues attention-grabbing, and dealing towards the subsequent improve by way of profitable races feels satisfying.

Past profession mode, there are time trials and weekly challenges the place gamers go for that subsequent fraction of a second off their greatest lap instances whereas competing towards international leaderboards and ghost riders from internationally. You’re feeling such as you’re all the time up towards somebody, even when enjoying the sport solo. Fight races actually crank up the chaos, and each power-up provides a tactical edge, offering an actual sense of satisfaction when touchdown a clear missile shot or ducking beneath a barrage of explosions proper earlier than a hairpin flip. There may be additionally a Survivor mode, the place the final racer is eradicated every lap. That is the place the strain actually breaks by way of and nervousness units in each time the sphere shrinks.

If you happen to’re not feeling aggressive or don’t like multiplayer, free play mode is the place you may probably spend most of your time in V-Racer. This allows you to set the tempo and choose your subsequent monitor, tweak circumstances, and apply or simply soak within the recreation’s vibes with none strain. Regardless of your temper, there’s a method to play that matches.

The Full Dive Hoverbike Racing Expertise

Since I personal a Yaw 3 movement simulator and bHaptics gear, I wished to take this expertise a bit additional down the immersion rabbit gap. Feeling each little bump and alter in elevation on the tracks synced up completely in time with the digital photographs the headset delivers is magical. It supplies a refined sensation you simply do not know you are lacking till you play V-Racer or different racing video games in a simulator with full movement help whereas sporting the bHaptics TactSuit Professional.

Getting that kickback from excessive acceleration throughout my physique actually amps up the sensation of velocity. Issues like bumping one other participant or the monitor’s facet partitions, as I did so many instances throughout my testing, take this expertise to a deeper degree of immersion. That causes me to really feel inner bodily sensations like my abdomen and muscular tissues tightening, very like they might in the actual world if I used to be about to crash a bike at 200 MPH. These are sensations I don’t really feel when enjoying V-Racer or different driving video games exterior the movement rig and haptics gear.

The sensation you get when your entire senses begin firing off unexpectedly within the chair is exhilarating and unmatched by something for me up to now, moreover doing these actions in precise actuality. In fact, not everybody studying this may afford or has the area for a setup like this in their very own houses. With the resurgence of VR arcades and points of interest, I encourage you to hunt anyplace the place you’ll be able to expertise the distinction including immersion-enhancing applied sciences like these to VR gaming brings to the sense of realism and presence felt whereas enjoying.

V-Racer Hoverbike Assessment – Remaining Verdict

General, V-Racer Hoverbike delivers a VR racing recreation that feels quick, tactical, and bodily partaking. It’s a worthy step ahead for the futuristic-racer style, with modern leaning mechanics taking gamers deeper into the motion and making them really feel like they’re in management. Add in customizable content material and the good design selections that make each race extra thrilling than the subsequent, and you’ve got the makings of a strong racer that delivers a pleasant rush of adrenaline each time you play.

I sincerely hope that VertexBreakers takes the time to provide V-Racer Hoverbike the Quest 3 overhaul it deserves. It is equivalent content-wise however you may take a small hit with graphics constancy or efficiency. When you’ve got the power and are able to hit the monitor proper now, the PC VR model delivers all the identical nice gameplay with extra constancy and fewer performance-killing potholes alongside the monitor. A PlayStation VR2 version can be coming, so whichever approach you resolve to play, V-Racer Hoverbike supplies a enjoyable expertise.

UploadVR makes use of a 5-star score system for our recreation critiques—you’ll be able to learn a breakdown of every star score in our evaluate pointers.