'Minecraft' is now playable with an Oculus Rift
You can play Minecraft on an Oculus Rift now.
Mojang's hit world-building game is already playable in virtual reality on Gear VR, but the Windows 10 Edition is now live in the Oculus Store as well. It's modeled after the Gear's Pocket Edition version, but takes advantage of the Rift's more powerful hardware needs.
If you already own the Windows 10 Edition of Minecraft then you're good to go. Fire it up in the Oculus Store, put on your headset and you'll be in Minecraftland.
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It's not entirely clear how the process works for those that don't own Minecraft. The Oculus Store download is free, and the company notes in a blog post that there's a $9.99 in-app purchase to unlock the "full version." We've reached out to Microsoft and Oculus both for clarification.
Experience-wise, the PC version uses the Gear VR's innovative "step turning," which replaces the smooth left-to-right controller-based turns with an intentionally choppy one. The stuttered turning produces a more comfortable experience in the headset.
If you're still unclear on how Minecraft's VR turning works, the video above provides a good explanation.
The Oculus version of Minecraft also features a virtual living room environment, allowing you to play the game on a "TV" inside a blocky virtual space. Pressing up on the D-Pad jumps back and forth between the virtual living room and first-person VR Minecraft.
Topics Gaming Microsoft Oculus Virtual Reality
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
