Elite Dangerous (2014), one of the first truly massive VR-compatible space sims, is releasing its biggest DLC for free today to all players who own the base game.

Initially announced last month by creators Frontier Developments, the previously separate Horizons expansion has now been folded into the base game.

Before today, Horizons cost $30 on top of the base game’s $30 price tag. The free update includes all supported platforms, including PC (SteamVR, Oculus PC), Xbox and PS4.

Launched back in late 2015, Horizons brought to the space-faring simulator the option to finally head out of the ship, land on planets and drive surface recon vehicles to explore the ground below, craft weapons, and allow for multicrew action.

Although the game has lost some of its appeal over the years, it’s good to see Frontier offering even more to new VR players looking to delve into one of the decidedly ‘classic’ space sims out there.

And while the studio initially said VR wasn’t on the roadmap for its 2021 first-person shooter DLC Odyssey, Frontier developer Arthur Tolmie announced last month that VR will be available when users fly down to planets, fly through atmospheres and drive along planet surfaces in their SRVs, although leaving the ship to continue on foot would bring up a 2D projected flat game screen.

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Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.