‘PAYDAY 2 VR’ Beta Launches November 16th, Free to All Owners

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Oct 23, 2017

PAYDAY 2, the multiplayer bank-heist game by Overkill Software, is soon to get full VR support as PAYDAY 2 VR, which will also allow VR and non-VR players to play together.

Update (10/23/17): Payday developer Overkill Software hosted a Q&A on the development of Payday 2 VR. A beta offering VR support for the game has been confirmed to launch on November 16th, and will offer VR and non-VR players access to the exact same content, and the ability to play together. VRFocus has summarized the parts of the Q&A most relevant to the VR aspect of the game, including confirmation that all owners of Payday 2 will get access to VR support for free, and a discussion about the challenges of balancing gameplay between VR and PC players.

Original Article (5/10/17): Starbreeze Studios is the company behind the StarVR headset, but they’re first and foremost a game developer and publisher. The company’s studio, Overkill Software, is behind Payday 2 (2013), a well regarded FPS that focused on four-player co-op action.

Now Starbreeze and Overkill are adding total VR functionality to the game which they’re calling Payday 2 VR, which is said to not only offer players “all your PAYDAY content in VR!” but also to allow VR and non-VR players to play together. The trailer heading this article shows Payday VR in action running on the HTC Vive, though it isn’t clear what other platforms might be supported.

Hands-on: Latest StarVR Upgrades Highlight Ultra-wide FoV & Nearly Invisible Pixels

It’s still somewhat unclear at this stage but our understanding based on the available info is that Payday VR will be made available for free to all Payday 2 owners. Overkill says that the Payday VR beta will begin in 2017.

Mane Vr

this is great news we need more ports over to vr. I wish it was something else but it’s a start
- johngrimoldy
  
  ‘Was thinking the same thing. I’d love to see Half Life, Theif, Bioshock, or Dishonored ported. Payday 2? Well, not so much — but, yes, it’s a start.
  - Matt Clark
    
    Yeah, it was sort of out of the blue… I too would kill for an official Bioshock series port
    - johngrimoldy
      
      I’ve read a fair amount about VORPX which will convert 2-D games to VR. From what I’ve read, Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite are among the best conversions facilitated by that software. I haven’t yet shelled out the $40 since my hands are full with Alien: Isolation, Talos Principle, and Invisible Hours. If you’ve got the $40, maybe a way to make it happen sooner than you’d expected.
      - Matt Clark
        
        I have VorpX and have tried all the major games that can run it. It’s nice… I would rather play games like Bioshock in VR even if theater mode if the resolution was up to the task… but it just isn’t. A lot of quality of resolution is lost because Vorpx ‘zooms’ the camera to a proper FOV. Dynamic shadows always have problems in these games, so you have to turn them off… they just happen to be one of the features that best sell a game’s graphics.
        
        Bioshock Infinite was the best Vorpx has to offer. The models aren’t too bad, but they are still not in game scale. The game itself is made in a way that lends to great VR (vibrant colors, stylized and exaggerated model style.)
        
        But the thing is, something just feels a little off… scale-wise, vorpx is never perfect. Also, all vorpx games give me a headache after a little while. Finally, headtracked aiming is just not very natural.
        
        I would shell out even as much as 60$ if it meant I could play games like Bioshock in Native VR.
      - johngrimoldy
        
        Matt, thanks for the very useful and very practical review. I think you may have just saved me $40. From the YouTube reviews I’ve seen of VORPX with Bioshock, they sort of leave out the valuable details that you included here with the ‘zooming’ and dynamic shadow problems.
        
        I was under the impression that VORPX could make Bioshock look mighty close to Alien: Isolation. From what you’re saying that may be a disappointing expectation. Thanks!
      - Matt Clark
        
        I am a designer, and am interested in the industry development side of VR. For that reason, I don’t regret experimenting with Vorpx. If you are a big follower of VR development, then it’s a must have. If you are looking for a practically entertaining means of playing games in VR comfortably, your bet is to just wait for the AAA VR ports that are sure to accelerate in the coming years, and better-yet, the new titles that will be arriving natively to VR.
        
        Take care, and be sure to show VR to your friends!
- PJ
  
  I would love to see farcry, PUBG and DayZ with motion control and VR support
NooYawker

More ports!!! It’s easy low cost way to get into the VR market. I will literally buy any port. Not even kidding.
- Mane Vr
  
  I am pretty much with you I feel all new games should have a vr mode of the full game and let u play with non-vr players. so I will support ports so devs can see adding vr to their games is worth the money. plus I think if these indie devs were smart offer urself as studios willing to do the ports it would be easy money for them and they can try more ways to make locomotion better for when they make their full vr only game
Pace

Well I dont have a vive but I do play PayDay2 on PS4 so if it comes to PSVR I’ll buy it.
ima420r

Great, they can charge us more money for the game, then half ass it and we get a game full of bugs. Connecting to non VR will likely not work right, we’d be lucky if playing online works at all at the start. And if they port it to PSVR then after a few updates, Overkill will drop support.

I still get get past what they did with the Payday games. Such great games but the company doesn’t seem to care about anything except the $$$.
- Mane Vr
  
  huh y would you think all this first of all they said if u own the game u get the vr for free if u worried they going to jack the price then go but it now.
- flamaest
  
  no one should have the buy the same game over again, for the same console, just because they got a new peripheral to play the game a different way. I don’t care if they had to put in hours to port it. This should instead be a small upgrade fee, at most. MONEY grab!
  - Matt Clark
    
    It’s free, imbecile
- Andrew Jakobs
  
  Uhm this VR addon is free… You know that Payday developers are also behind the StarVR headset, so they are commited to VR.
- Raphael
  
  Bleddy muppet.
- PJ
  
  Entitled much?
  
  Also they have already said months ago that it’s a free update..jeez
Walextheone

This is so cool. Being able to play with non VR gamers means there are always matches redo when you want to play. Ports is the way to go for AAA gameplay
- AndyP
  
  Plus we may have an advantage in VR, like in elite dangerous (head turning is faster and better angles) ha ha ha! May also encourage non VR people to make the upgrade.
  - Foreign Devil
    
    Yeah I hope the VR people prove to be the best sharpshooters. With manual controls, better aiming and ability to lean out from cover and shoot.
NooYawker

What luck, just a few weeks ago PayDay 2 was free for one day and I downloaded it but haven’t played it yet.
Jona Adams

I want a Portal 3 in VR
Westbrock

Nice! Nice to see free VR Ports Bathesda! Don`t misunderstand me, Fallout 4 seems to be much more polished and i`m ready to pay a little for something like that, but 60€ for a game i already own? I will enjoy playing Payday in VR but in case of Fallout 4 Bathesdas Payday have to wait until a sale :)
ummm…

i have a feeling im going to like this for 10 min then drop it. have the game, but never play it. i like singlplayer. its weak for this title.