Ready Player One: Oasis beta (2018), the free mini-game sampler with experiences inspired by Steven Spielberg’s latest film Ready Player One (2018), is finally on Steam, which includes support for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows “Mixed Reality” VR headsets.

RPO: Oasis beta previously launched on Viveport, HTC Vive’s app store, shortly after the film hit the theaters late last month.

Just like in the book/film, the Oasis beta launcher divides the universe into discrete ‘planets’:

  • Planet Gauntlet – Navigate through a seemingly endless dungeon while the undead seek to destroy you. Collecting gold will improve your score and eating food will restore your health, but only your bow skills will ensure that you make it our alive. (Developed by Directive Games)
  • Battle for the OASIS – Help to save the OASIS by defeating waves of IOI Sixers. Advance through the trenches of Planet Doom towards the snowy planes that surround Anorak’s Castle. With an arsenal of potent firepower, you must stop the Sixers from controlling the fate of the OASIS. (Developed by Steel Wool Studios)
  • Rise of the Gunters – Fight against a nearly invincible army of highly trained IOI Sixers alone OR with up to two of your friends! Proceed with caution as you defeat Sixers, collect their coins, find power ups and survive a merciless onslaught of hyper-explosive kinetic action for as long as you can survive. The OASIS is yours. Take it back from IOI by yourself or with up to two fellow Gunters! (Developed by Drifter Entertainment Inc.)
  • Smash – Smash is a futuristic and action-packed arcade game. In Smash, players step into a futuristic arena with powered-up paddles in each hand. The goal is to strike balls past opponents and block incoming shots on goal. The game adds obstacles and power-ups such as multi-balls and power-balls to up the pace and challenge. (Developed by Vive Studio’s 2 Bears Studio)
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There’s also a bespoke Avatar Creator from Morp3d so you can style yourself just like the ’80s retro-future-neo-noir-cyberpunk you always knew you were inside.

Check it out for free on Steam here.

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Scott Hayden
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.
  • Graham J ⭐️

    Just what VR needs – more tech demos.

    • impurekind

      Give it a go before you criticize it. There’s some cool experiences in there, and from what I can see, a couple are basically full games (although I never played them long enough to see just how much content there is).

      Seriously, for a freebie, this is a very cool proof of concept and taster of what a future full Oasis experience could be like.

      • NooYawker

        I gave it a go, it’s three spartan thrown together VR games.

        • impurekind

          There’s four games, and one is a full dungeon crawler.

    • NooYawker

      Tech demos demonstrate new advanced technology. This does not.

      • Graham J ⭐️

        Nope.

        A technology demonstration or demonstrator model, informally known as a “tech demo”, is a prototype, rough example or an otherwise incomplete version of a conceivable product or future system, put together as proof of concept
        with the primary purpose of showcasing the possible applications,
        feasibility, performance and method of an idea for a new technology.

        A beta with three mini games fits the bill.

    • Lucio Lima

      They still can not make better graphics because there is a technological limitation (CPU)

      • Graham J ⭐️

        CPU isn’t the main bottleneck for graphic quality, GPU is. Even if it was, a lack of graphic quality isn’t what makes these tech demos, it’s their lack of depth and polish.

        Not surprising since this is basically advertising, but still true.

  • impurekind

    This is actually pretty great. It’s just a shame some of the games aren’t properly calibrated to line up with the Oculus controllers (you can tell it was made for Steam/Vive first and foremost). With that one little tweak a couple of them that are off would be so much better. Overall though, it’s very cool for what it is.

    I’m hoping this comes to the actual Oculus Store officially because then all the games controls should work perfectly with the Touch controllers and that will make them all even better.

    PS. To whomever made the Shufflepuck Cafe/Breakout-like game: It’s a cool little game but I think it could be taken to the next level with some more [exciting] sound effects and stuff. The awesome example I would recommend looking at–or listening to–is VR Worlds’ Danger Ball. Seriously, one of the most satisfying games ever sound-wise. And the loading screen for it is actually more fun than the game because you actually use your hands to whack the ball around.

  • ShiftyInc

    Good thing that it is free, cause i would be dissapointed if i where to pay money for it. It’s nothing special. Most things are wave based shooter things again.

    • Lucio Lima

      I liked the games. It’s a good start…

  • jazneo

    vrchat better at be Oasis

    • Lucio Lima

      NO! But it does not have such good games. Vrchat is just for exploring and chatting with other avatars

  • Lucio Lima

    I can not get off the elevator. How should I do ???

  • Henree

    how many people at the same time????

  • Lucio Lima

    Very nice! Please create an option to simply explore

  • Hivemind9000

    Another massive opportunity sacrificed at the altar of mediocrity…

  • Fucking junk

    • Lucio Lima

      What did you expect ? I liked!

  • impurekind

    By the way, one thing I really liked was the way a couple of the games were doing the HUD stuff. It totally felt very VR the way it was implemented and was just cool.

  • ta2025

    Obviously just a way to capitalize on the name and licensing of “OASIS” without actually having to do anything ground breaking…. So sad that corporate mediocrity will probably never let us really realize OASIS.

  • My question is: what will be the use of this experience in 1 year, when the hype of the movie will be finished?

  • Hymen Cholo

    WMR support sucks. The image doesn’t render at the right resolution so it has this nauseating fish eye look that warps and stretches when you move your head. On the Odyssey it gives double vision, so it’s unplayable.

  • Paul W

    Whats with the double vision with the Samsung Odyssey ?