[Frame][Discussion] Recommended FREE VR apps for Steam Frame
I think it would be cool to collaborate on a list of free VR apps (games, experiences, and other VR software) that we have tested to work well on frame and would recommend to others. Even older ones that have been around for a long time could still be fun for those of us who are newbies to VR. I'm going to try all the free apps I can and feel like while I'm starting out and getting the hang of it, before I start shelling out for paid ones. It would be useful to state whether it worked in standalone or streaming mode too. I'm mostly interested in standalone for now since my old gaming box has a fairly old and underpowered GPU.
Here are a couple to start with:
Standalone - Arcturus Vision Gaussian XR - cool technical demo.
Standalone - BoomXR - nice basic(?) rhythm exercise/boxing game. It worked perfectly for me and I enjoyed the game and the workout. I think that this will hold me over for a while until I get Beat Saber, Synth Riders, Thrill of The Fight 2, Dragon Fist, etc.
48 replies
I know of a few painting tools for fun in VR, but what I’d really like is animation.
I spent a lot of time animating keyframes in Garry’s Mod, though it’s sometimes a struggle to translate positions and rotations into mouse movements, as well as think about a wealth of tools that can only take up so much space on the monitor.
If there’s a way to create character animations using VR hands, that might really interest me.
I've found a couple of free animation tools in VR!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/725510/Merper_VR/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/459870/VIRTUAnimator/
I haven't tried either of them yet. Please let us know if either works on Frame, and if they're any good. Thanks!
Nice to find those on basic search results, but I'd be a little worried about them being too bare-bones. One of them is listed as being a one-dev effort.
I realize that they're fairly basic, but sometimes, basic apps can be excellent at what they do. I just figured that those two may be worth checking out since they're free and have positive or mostly positive reviews. It doesn't surprise me that one of them is from a solo dev. Maybe we will eventually see more elaborate animation and other apps in VR.
Well I'd like to but I'm on the waitlist. >:(
Ah, sorry to hear! If it helps, it sounds like the list is moving along nicely. There were some threads in the last couple of days indicating that a bunch of people in the waitlist started receiving reservation queue emails!
Mine is not arrived yet so I cannot say if any of these works on the Frame standalone nor if it runs on Proton. But here are the free games/experience I enjoyed when I started VR. Order is kinda from fav to least but not really.
FREE
As a bonus here is a list of games that are very cheap on sale and that I enjoyed. Remember these were NOT tested on a standalone headset nor a GNU/Linux OS!
CHEAP and worthy – Usually less than $5 when on sale
I've tested keep talking and nobody explodes. Great game from years ago! Works great on frame, standalone. Highly recommend.
Excellent, thank you! I had some of those in my library and wishlist, but hadn't heard of some of them. I appreciate it. I hope that you get your Frame soon!
Should arrive soon ;)
"A Fisher Man's Tale" is an amazing (very short) VR puzzle game. I bought the sequel for when the Frame arrive, can't wait to play it!
Good to hear. :) That one is on my list for sure, thanks!
I don't know if it runs on the Frame, but Google Earth VR is a very fun free VR "game".
It's pretty cool just walking around anywhere in the world in decent quality.
Thanks! That's definitely on my list to try.
I'd have to look it up but there's an older one that lets you virtually tour an Egyptian tomb. Ah, here it is https://store.steampowered.com/app/861400/Nefertari_Journey_to_Eternity/
Oh, awesome, thanks! This looks great, I've added it to my library to try.
Tilt Brush - Draw in 3D
Blocks - Simple 3D modeling
Open Brush is a fork of Tilt Brush and actively maintained: https://openbrush.app/
Thanks! I have those on my list but haven't tried them yet.
I know there's IKEA Pancake Kitchen, which is unavailable in Germany for some reason.
There were some Spider-Man games as promotions for the movies, but they have been delisted. The one I have wouldn't launch standalone anyways.
If we ever get a working WebXR browser there are a ton of browser games like https://spiderman.webvr.link/ and https://moonrider.xyz/.
I have successfully started Star Wars: Droid Repair Bay. There is also Trials on Tatooine which I haven't tested yet.
SideQuest also has a shit ton of free games. Most are for the Quest, but they may also work with Lepton. I have only tested Minecraft VR so far and that worked halfway (the game started but actual Minecraft did not start).
Haha, thanks for telling me about IKEA Pancake Kitchen! I probably would have never heard of that if you hadn't mentioned it. I see that they have IKEA VR Experience, which is also set in an IKEA kitchen. :D
Good ideas and links, thanks! Is it possible to use SideQuest with Frame and without a Meta account? I understand that a browser with WebXR is coming.
SideQuest is basically just an independent store/curator for Quest and by now also other headsets. You don't need any account to download the free games. It has a companion app to help you add the games to your Quest but that's not needed for Frame.
Good to know, thanks!
Still waiting on mine but I bet Aperture Desk Job would be fun. Try it and let me know.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1902490/Aperture_Desk_Job/
With the steam frame, the small equivalent would be Aperture Hand Lab https://store.steampowered.com/app/868020/Aperture_Hand_Lab/
Well now don't I look dumb @[email protected]
Not at all, thanks for your suggestion anyway. I've added it to my library to try on PC.
Thanks!
Cool, thanks! It looks cool, but it's too bad that it doesn't seem to have a VR option.
The Lab would probably be the VR equivalent.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/450390/The_Lab/
Thanks! I'll try that out eventually.
It's unsupported for the moment. Often older VR games tend to have compatibility issues, but I do hope this gets sorted out as it's a nice intro to VR.
Does work on Linux PCVR at the least: https://db.vronlinux.org/games/450390.html
How? It's crazy to me that they released a product that doesn't work with their own games or their own console on launch.
@[email protected] have you tried it already? I've had relative success with some games that have the same requirements and that don't mention support for Steam Frame specifically. BoomXR worked perfectly.
@[email protected]
I don't have a Frame yet, so can't confirm or deny. But The Lab was initially supported in the "Great on Frame" program, but Valve later removed it suggesting it has issues.
Got it, thanks. I didn't realize this.
For me The Lab wouldn't even launch.
I had that issue with some games initially. Which default compatibility tool do you have set? I haven't tried that many games yet to determine if it works with many games or if it's the best option, but choosing Proton Experimental (ARM64) made some games start that had not started previously. I'll try this game out later, but I'm trying games and apps more or less in order of size, smallest first, so I don't have to wait too long for things to download and install, meaning that The Lab won't be up until a while later.
I just tried the latest stable Proton, but I did not specifically pick ARM. Guess I have to do some more tests.
I'd be interested to see what free Android/Quest APKs work, as that's the big unknown here. Windows and Linux apps should work the same as they do on SteamVR on a Linux PC, excepting the Frame specific ports and performance differences.
Valve added support around when the Frame started shipping
https://www.androidauthority.com/valve-android-games-steam-3615355/
https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/android-games-are-coming-to-steam-starting-with-the-frame-vr-headset/
@[email protected]
I meant which apps in particular work, because there hasn't been a huge amount of testing of the feature yet.
Cool, thanks. I remember hearing that this had happened. I'll have to look up how to get the APKs from Android and from Quest.
I would be curious about how the old VR apps/games from Android would work on this.
Another one:
Standalone - A Shopping Trip to Eklan Tor - amazing little game, very cool experience for someone new to VR. Simple low-poly graphics, but a very intricate little interactive environment for someone to explore in VR, like a very elaborate doll house or doll village. I've always been fascinated with miniatures, so it's right up my alley. The controllers displayed in the game are a bit messed up and I noticed some aliasing or something (it may just be my settings, I need to check the articles/videos for the ideal settings) but it's still very much worth it.
The three that I've listed so far (Arcturus Vision, BoomXR, and Eklan Tor) seem like very good free options to demonstrate VR to someone. None of them have any locomotion, so it should keep any chance of VR sickness to a minimum if not eliminate it completely.
Not quite free and might not work standalone, but I adore BLARP!
Thanks, that looks cool, so I've added it to my wishlist. It would not surprise me at all if it ran in standalone. BoomXR and A Shopping Trip to Eklan Tor that I've suggested have the same exact CPU and GPU requirements as blarp and ran great, although their RAM requirement is only half (4 GB) of blarp's (8 GB). But the Frame has 16 GB so I don't think it would be an issue.
I think BLARP! just lists the specs the Vive asked for. It's tiny.