• A new beta allows Bugsnax to be played in VR on PC.
• This update is free for owners of the game to try.
• This is a testing phase before an actual release, which will also be free.

Enigmatic title Bugsnax can now be played in virtual reality (VR) for free thanks to a beta released just a few hours ago. As outlined in a Steam community announcement, the update is now live for anyone who owns the game to enjoy.

Aside from the game itself a VR headset and accompanying controls will obviously be needed. On that front, many were tested before the launch of this beta.

“The game was primarily tested using Quest 2/3, Valve Index, and PSVR2 along with their respective controllers. For Valve Index, please apply the community button mappings. Vive wands are not supported. Gamepad support is available for those who prefer to play without motion controllers,” the announcement reads.

“The game offers both teleport and continuous movement options, as well as snap camera rotation with customizable degree settings. It can be played seated or standing, in room-scale or stationary setups. Left-handed mode is also available.”

While the gaming industry has twisted the use of the word “beta” to mean all sorts of things, Bugsnax is using it correctly to signify a product that isn’t ready for wide release just yet, allowing early players to provide input to make the release version better.

The VR mode for Bugsnax on PC will be released officially in the future while still being a free update. While that’s great news, it will only be for PC on Steam. The announcement states that this is because the game was made in a custom game engine and porting to other VR platforms would be non-viable. The finished VR version will, however, also be available on the Epic Game Store if testing in the beta phase on Steam is a success.

For more technical information about Bugsnax VR, and how to get this beta version of it running, see the Steam community announcement. If you don’t already own the base Bugsnax game, it is currently discounted by 72 percent on Steam. The various bundles it is included in are also discounted between 75 and 82 percent.

As for those who have already given the VR beta a try, the comments on the announcement do point out some issues, such as poor performance, camera positioning problems, needed quality of life issues and more. If you are one of these early users it is asked that you provide feedback – including the details of your headset and PC – in the comments of the aforementioned community announcement.

Despite some problems, the reception to the VR beta seems to be very positive with some users who have already finished the game now giving this VR version a try. When the VR mode is released in full we have to see if it will become the de facto way to play the game on PC or a nice addition for those who want return playthroughs to be a bit different.