Virtual reality’s most compelling Rube Goldberg sandbox Gadgeteer (2019) just got an update on Quest 3 and Quest 3S which finally brings mixed reality gameplay into the fold.
Launched in 2019 for PC VR headsets, Gadgeteer was initially conceived to work in homey virtual spaces that replicated what it might be like to build a massive marble ramp in your kitchen, ad hoc music boxes in your living room, and (of course) intricate loops of machines filling the floorplan of an entire virtual apartment.
The long-awaited mixed reality update, which launches today, now lets users transform their physical spaces with the game’s myriad of puzzle pieces, letting you do things like build a row of dominos across your couch, launch rubber ducks from one table to another, or roll balls down a flight of stairs and watch them blast through castles—no cleanup required.
This isn’t the first time Gadgeteer developer Metanaut wanted to bring the game out of virtual reality however, as the studio was accepted into the Magic Leap Independent Creator Program back in February 2019. While Magic Leap pivoted to enterprise in 2020, ostensibly forcing Metanaut to shelve its AR edition, it was clear Gadgeteer would translated well to mixed reality.
“Gadgeteer is the ideal game for mixed reality,” says Creative Director, Peter Kao. “Chain reaction machines inherently rely on the clever use of the surrounding environment. With this update, our players can now build complex, imaginative machines that weave through their furniture, bounce off of their walls, and use the unique contours of their homes as canvases. This update is all about giving players more opportunities to be more creative and innovative using their familiar surroundings.”
The mixed reality update for Gadgeteer is available for free to all Quest 3 and Quest 3S players right now. If you don’t own the game, you can grab it over on the Horizon Store, priced at $18.
