Universe Sandbox 2 is a physics-based space simulator from Giant Army that will soon be getting Oculus Rift and HTC Vive support, so you can build the Universe as you see fit in virtual reality—provided you adhere to the laws of classical mechanics.
The game, which is on Steam Early Access, “merges gravity, climate, collision, and material interactions to reveal the beauty of our universe and the fragility of our planet.”
Simulate gravity, collide planetary bodies and stars, model Earth’s climate, terraform planets, push a star into supernova and observe the effects on the universe—anything within the limits of Newtonian mechanics. Universe Sandbox 2 promises to deliver “real science, real physics, [and] no supercomputer required,” with procedurally generated stars and planets, pulsars, light-warping black holes and dark matter.
“Internally we have basic support for this going already,” Giant Army says in a blog post detailing their roadmap for 2016. “[B]ut there’s still a lot of work to do in fine-tuning the experience of reaching out, grabbing the Moon, then hurling it toward Earth. Our initial efforts are directed at getting it to work with the upcoming Steam VR based HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift.”
A special thanks to Robbie Newton for the tip.