Unofficial GTA San Andreas VR demoed by independent developer in new promising video

Following Meta's indefinite delay of the official GTA San Andreas VR, an independent developer known as Râmes VR (@vr_rames) has released a demo of their own version of GTA San Andreas in VR. Now, there's a chance that fans can actually "follow the damn train" in full virtual reality.

The original tweet with the near 1-minute demo is embedded at the end of the article.

Râmes VR has utilized a platform they refer to as UEVR - a modified Unreal Engine for virtual reality projects. It is a free, open-source tool that lets users play most Unreal Engine games in VR, and it is compatible with many VR headsets, including the HTC Vive, and the Meta Quest Pro. This project includes 6DOF (Six Degrees of Freedom) controls, allowing players not just to look around, but to move within the game’s space as if they were physically there. Players can experience walking forward, backward, up, down, and side-to-side in the game. It steps up modern VR experiences by more than just a notch. The system further tracks rotational movements like pitch, yaw, and roll.

UEVR is not a simple port; it involves a ton of modifications and personal effort to bring the 'true' experience of a game like San Andreas to VR. While still in development, the creator has been pretty transparent about the challenges, mentioning some remaining issues to resolve, including occasional crashes and controller setup difficulties. The GTA San Andreas VR project, however, is playable and offers a hands-on experience that the official version from Meta may never deliver. That's a big win in itself.

Râmes VR's adaptation brings back hope for fans who had all but lost faith in a VR reboot of the popular Rockstar game since its initial announcement in 2021. However, the unofficial nature of the project raises questions about whether this San Andreas VR version will face any legal challenges from Rockstar Games or Meta in the future.