It's coming!

[WARNING: a few NPCs were harmed in the making of this video. It's a hard job, but somebody's gotta do it.]

Update: the game is on sale right now, 50% off!!!

Update 2: we're on PC Gamer! VR ain't dead yet!!!

Dear VR lovers, stock up on pizzas and remember to stay hydrated, because in a few days you'll never want to remove your headset again []-)

Before you scroll down searching for the attachment: this is not the release post yet. Just a short teaser of what's to come very soon now. I still want to polish a few rough spots here and there, and some missions need more testing, but as you can see from the video we're getting R.E.A.L. close (ahem). No matter how things turn out, at this point I'm going to release by the end of next week. I hope that everything will work correctly by then, but even if it doesn't, most of the game will be playable in VR.

The video has no commentary, as it's basically just meant to be a tech demo. I tried to showcase as many aspects of the VR conversion as I could in the space of a few minutes, so please forgive the general nonsensical nature of the footage. Some key points:

• Unexpectedly, performance is quite good for such a complex and modern game. I shot the video on a Core i9-9900K and RTX 3090, playing at native 2700x2700 resolution, and recording to SSD on the same PC at 2160p 60 fps. While not recording, I'm usually able to maintain 80-90 fps.
• Speaking of performance, I find that the best way to enjoy this title in VR is to keep most graphics options on low with no DLSS. The clarity and level of detail you can achieve in this way are simply astounding. Every combination of settings will work with the mod, even raytracing on Ultra with all the bells and whistles, but my (very subjective) opinion is that moving to higher presets, despite looking very good on screenshots, actually makes for a hazier view in VR (and of course going overboard will kill your fps).
• The views are just majestic. Hats off to the designers. Free roaming around Night City gives me strong GTA V vibes, but with next-gen graphics and much more "verticality" to the city. This really needs to be seen in the headset! A video cannot do it justice properly.
• Every HUD-based interaction works as it's supposed to. In the teaser I demonstrate reading and replying to messages (which can be done with the world still visible and in full roomscale 3D), talking to NPCs, browsing the menus and navigating the map. Although it's not shown in this video, terminals you find in the game can be interacted with properly, all while never leaving the 3D world, either with your mouse or your gamepad.
• Each HUD marker is anchored at its correct position in the world: objective trackers, floating icons, even overhead subtitles (er, supertitles?). Although it's of course not appreciable in a 2D video, the crosshair is at the correct depth and lies exactly on the object you're aiming at.
• Zooming in (an important aspect of gameplay for this title) works correctly even in VR. I showcase it in the video, both for normal view and in scanning mode. For people who can't stand the world warping that comes from zooming in while wearing a headset, I also provide an optional virtual-screen mode that activates automatically when zooming.
• Special camera effects (distortions, heat haze, superimposed digital artefacts, etc.) all work properly and in correct stereoscopic 3D.
• Head bobbing is enabled in the video (I always like to keep it on, even in VR!) but it can be disabled in the game options.
• Driving feels very good, despite the sometimes weird physics. All driving cameras work properly: far 3rd person, near 3rd, and most importantly first person. You can freely look around at every moment and always keep complete situational awareness. The car interiors are beautifully designed and full of details, even more so than in GTA V.
• While driving I also demonstrate the recentering gesture, at 1:50 and 3:52.
• On foot: for this game I was able to fully implement head-based locomotion. You will be able to turn either with your gamepad stick (smooth turning) or simply by looking in the direction you want to go. The final release will have the option to switch this behavior on and off, for those who prefer to look around freely while they're walking or running.
• As usual for my mods, aiming always follows your gaze, and both crosshair and ADS modes are supported, with the sights perfectly aligned with your dominant eye. See this at 2:58.
• Photo mode is working perfectly in VR, and it's great fun :-D You can move around in 3D with no restrictions and look at the scene from every angle.
• Not shown in the video (if I find the time I'll do another one next week specifically for this): Braindance fully works, and it's a wonder all in itself! It this were your usual title made for VR, Braindance mode alone would justify full price for the game IMO.
• As you can witness from the teaser, all of the above is working with the 1.5 giga-update. I'm as yet still on the first 1.5 official release; I temporarily blocked the subsequent mysterious update, but have no reason to think it should be a problem when I get around to integrating it. In VR on my PC I was unable to measure any performance reduction from 1.31 to 1.5, although other people on the web did, so YMMV.
• Finally, what's up with this Diego Coronado guy that seems to be following me around the city? See him at 2:00 and again at 4:50! Virtual espionage? O_o