Fans still have a few months left to use their VR headsets while playing the game.
There is some bad news in store for those who are fans of new-age technological devices like virtual reality or VR headsets and enjoy playing Minecraft. After March 2025, Minecraft will not be extending support for VR headsets. Since VR could not make a prominent place for itself in the community of the game, Mojang Studios arrived at the decision to discontinue support for VR for both the PlayStation and PC versions of the game. This will be done next year, so players still have some time to explore VR headsets while playing the game.
In the year 2009, Minecraft was launched in the beta phase. In very little time, the game became a global phenomenon. The massive success of the game compelled Minecraft to integrate VR support for the game in 2016. Its support for Oculus VR was seen as an important event in the gaming community and many believed it would propel the growth and popularity of the game forward. After some time, one saw Minecraft getting VR support on PlayStation. However, the recent development shows that Mojang will have a different approach to this technology.
Mojang, as a part of the 1.21.40 Bedrock update rolled out by Minecraft, made an announcement about the game withdrawing its support to devices like Meta Quest, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. In the same announcement, it stated that this would be done after March 2025. Gamers, therefore, will have a few months at their disposal before the changes come into effect. After March 2025, gamers playing the Java version of Minecraft featuring mods like Vivecraft will have the opportunity to play the game with VR headsets.
A while back, Mojang had announced that Minecraft would not have any support in PlayStation VR after March 2025. While making this announcement, Mojang made it clear that gamers using the peripheral on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 would still have the chance to access worlds that they put together in the past. They will also continue having access to items they had bought in the marketplace in the past. There was some hope in the gaming community about PSVR2 getting official Minecraft support. However, the recent announcements suggest otherwise.
Also Read: Minecraft 1.21.2 Pre-Release 3 Patch Brings In Bug Fixes
When one has a quick look at the gaming market today, one realizes VR games are not performing well. This is one of the major reasons behind Mojang’s decision not to support VR technology any further. A couple of months back, one came across reports stating how Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR did not generate any significant revenue for Ubisoft. Yes Guillemot, the CEO of the company, expressed his disappointment publicly and said that they expected the VR technology to do more for the game. The sales expectations that one had from PSVR2, too, were not met. Sony had to take the drastic step of cutting down its price significantly and only after that, it witnessed some growth in its sales.
Gamers who own VR headsets still have something to look forward to. There are many gaming titles like Garry’s Mod, The Forest and No Man’s Sky that continue to have VR support. Those who have enjoyed using their VR headsets while playing Minecraft should consider exploring these titles.
Tanya Jacobs focuses solely on the fast-paced world of gaming, from PC to console. With nearly 2,000 posts in the niche, she consistently covers all major leaks, industry news, and game updates the moment they happen. You can find all her posts here.