The studio behind GOLF+ (2020) is aiming to expand the game this year in a bid to solve some of the most persistent problems in off-course golfing simulators: building real-world muscle memory in a virtual environment.
Golf+ CEO Ryan Engle announced that the studio’s popular golf sim is getting “major product updates” this year, which is set to include a new social lobby, UI improvements, and over a dozen new courses.
In addition, Engle showed off a fresh look at a mixed reality mode which ostensibly tracks real-world golf balls and clubs so players can work on driving, iron play and putting in a Sim Golf environment.
Check it out in action below:
Traditional golf simulators use large 2D impact screens and sensors to measure ball speed and direction. While they’re generally considered effective for practicing full swings and driving, they tend to be less reliable at the slower ball speeds used in putting and short-game shots.
Worse yet, these sorts of simulator screens lack parallax, as courses are projected at a fixed viewpoint. Looping in a mixed reality setup though could allow golfers to not only build muscle memory with a real ball and club, but have the benefit of golfing in a more realistic environment.
It’s unsure whether the studio intends on releasing the mixed reality implementation as an update to the current game, or releasing a separate version for location based golf sims.
Engle says however we should expect Golf+ on more platforms in the near future. Although it’s currently only available on Quest, the studio shared plans to expand the game to PC VR headsets.
Additionally, the studio says it’s exploring flatscreen PC gameplay, as well as offering a “unified experience with shared physics, multiplayer, and cross-play across all platforms.”
